KINNEY COUNTY, Texas – The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department asked for feedback as it considers expanding the state parks system.
The expansion is made possible by the $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, established by legislators and voters in 2023.
The fund provides the department with roughly $50 million in interest from the fund to purchase and develop land, Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger said.
Texas must add 1.4 million acres of public land by 2030 to meet the needs of an increasing population, more than doubling the current size of the parks system, according to a 2001 study completed by Texas Tech.
Metzger said that little progress had been made until the Conservation Fund was established, with no state parks created between 2001 and 2023.
“It’s quite an operation. It takes time, takes money,” Metzger said. “They unfortunately hadn’t been able to do that prior to getting this billion dollars.”
The department could make significant progress towards the goal with the acquisition of the 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch.
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Silver Lake Ranch is located 2 ½ hours west of San Antonio, in Kinney and Edwards counties, according to a news release from Environment Texas.
Elevations on the property range from 2,270 feet in the northeast to 1,400 feet along the west Nueces River. There is also a diverse wildlife, with a mix of native brush including live oak, shin oak and sycamore.
Silver Lake, a 30-acre spring-fed lake, also offers fishing and boating opportunities.
“Remarkably, the spring has continued to flow even through three years of severe drought,” the news release states.
White-tailed and axis deer, turkeys, javelinas and doves inhabit the park. The property is also the potential habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler, according to Environment Texas.
“Future visitors could enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and wildlife watching in landscapes reminiscent of the mountains of west Texas and New Mexico,” the release states.
The potential acquisition is the largest in a string of recent moves to expand the parks system in South Texas.
In August, the department announced the $33.5 million purchase of Bear Creek State Park, a 1,720-acre park located in Uvalde County, less than a mile from Garner State Park.
The state is also considering purchasing a 200-acre expansion to Lockhart State Park in Caldwell County.
In addition, Metzger said Parks & Wildlife is actively looking for other plots of land to create new parks. Metzger encouraged those with knowledge of land for sale that might be a good fit to contact the department using the public comment form on its website.
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