Diverse Partners Protect Hamilton Pool Road Corridor
(Dripping Springs, TX) – On Monday, July 30th, Travis County and the Puryear family celebrated the closing of a real estate deal on their 423-acre historic ranch. Unlike most real estate deals, however, this one allows them to stay on the land, where their family has lived for 138 years. The Puryears worked with Hill Country Conservancy to create a conservation easement that keeps the land from being developed in perpetuity. The project was funded through a combination of Travis County bonds and grants from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“Today, we celebrate the conservation of beautiful Hill Country land, and the partnerships with local landowners and land trusts that made it possible. Between our Conservation Easement Program and the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, Travis County has now partnered in the preservation of more than 30,000 acres of exemplary Hill Country in the west and Blackland Prairie in the east,” said Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt. “And our work is not done. Expect to see additional strategic investments to preserve the hills and streams of Travis County. Families like mine that have lived here for generations know what it is to love this land and fear its disappearance. With these partnerships, we ensure that future generations and newcomers will have the chance to love and protect the unique splendor of this land, too.”
Puryear Ranch was the third property conserved with Travis County bond funding this year along the scenic Hamilton Pool Road corridor. The first two, the 738-acre Peacock Ranch and the 396-acre Los Madrones Ranch, were funded using the last of the 2011 bonds. In 2017, voters approved an additional $16.6 million in funding for conservation easements, and Puryear Ranch was the first project to be completed with that new funding. Together, all three ranches comprise more than 1,500 acres.