Preserve created to help warbler, Camp Bullis By John W. Gonzalez, jgonza...@express-news.net Updated 02:02 a.m., Thursday, November 17, 2011 An intricate land deal has been completed that will protect the military missions of Camp Bullis as well as habitat of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler north of San Antonio, officials said Wednesday. Three years in the making, the pact involves the Army, Bexar County and the Nature Conservancy, which now is the owner and permanent guardian of 1,244 undeveloped acres about 10 miles east of Camp Bullis. Creation of the Cibolo Bluffs Preserve eases pressure on Camp Bullis to retain warbler habitat areas that are needed for combat and medical training, military officials said. Bexar County gave $5 million and the Army contributed $2 million to purchase the tract from Forestar Group Inc., and for its future management by the conservancy. The land in Comal County near Cibolo Creek was acquired for $6.3 million — about $1.5 million less than appraised value, officials said. At least $500,000 was earmarked for perpetual maintenance of the preserve, although the nonprofit has to raise more funds to fulfill its conservation role. The deal has the blessing of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees warbler habitats. The protected tract over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone also will provide a buffer for the adjacent Bracken Bat Cave, home to the world's largest bat colony, officials said. “It's just great to finally get it done,” said Jeff Francell, land protection manager for the conservancy. The venture is the group's first preserve in San Antonio. It owns a 4,000-acre preserve near Austin that has been open to scouting, birding, naturalist and other groups. Here, however, “we don't have the staff just to open the gate, but we will provide as much access as we can without having a negative impact,” Francell said. “If groups want to get together and come see it, in the near future we will have the capacity to provide that,” Francell said. The county agreed to provide $500,000 to start an endowment for the land's management, Francell said, but “that's not really enough. Over time, this will take a full-time position. We'll have to fundraise for that.” The conservancy must provide periodic reports on the land's warblers to Fish and Wildlife. The endowment “will at least cover those obligations that we've taken on,” Francell said. He credited Precinct 3 Commissioner Kevin Wolff with achieving a deal that had “many moving parts” to the end. “The whole goal was to protect the military missions at Camp Bullis. Not only did we protect the missions, we also were able to protect over 1,200 acres over the recharge zone,” Wolff said. Attorney Jim Cannizzo, administrative and civil law adviser to the Army, said the service now can remove cedar trees from about 900 acres at Camp Bullis. The work must be done by the end of February, when warblers return for nesting. Appearing before Commissioners Court on Sept. 6, Col. John Lamoureux, commander of the 502nd Mission Support Group at Fort Sam Houston, assured officials that the county's investment was worthwhile. The Dierks land acquisition “and several other transactions we are working on will generate enough endangered species mitigation credits to resolve our short-and medium-term management of the golden-cheeked warbler habitat,” Lamoureux said. Credits earned across the area have enabled the Army to clear about 1,500 other acres, he said. “As an example of how valuable this mitigation is, we always needed a staging area next to our airstrip and our combined arms collective-training facility, which is essentially a mock village,” Lamoureux said. “With the mitigation exchange program, we were able to thin cedars to create large staging areas. Both facilities provide essential military training for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who will be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the future.” Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/A-land-deal-that-s-for-the-birds-2272052.php#ixzz1e4SxNB11 http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Preserve-created-to-help-warbler-Camp-Bullis-2272052.php
