Res 2013-096/Approving an Agreement of Sale with the Trust for Public Land for the city to purchase 93 acres of land for the expansion of Purgatory Creek

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The Barker tract acquisition achieves several objectives of the revised San Recovery Plan, including the protection of 289.53 acres of direct recharge land and the improvement of water quality for the Edwards Aquifer in order tnmaintain flows and habitat fhrthe listed species, permanent preservation of Edwards Aquifer recharge features, and redLICtion of pollution loads to Purgatory Creek and the San Marcos River. Overall. the 209.53-oo/e Barker tract will protect more than 5,000 linear feet of Purgatory Creek within the 8mz Marcos River VVo1ernbed and Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. ThcTpL has further secured om option to acquire un adjacent 3|2-aorctract, containing similar habitat characteristics and Contiguous to the PCN& (Figure l). Future conservation of that tract would bring the protected habitat total to over 1,064 acres. 'The TPL plans to pursue this additional tract thrOUgh a ftinding request in the FY E3 ) federal grant cycle. In January of 20\2. the lPLacquired and conveyed to the City of San Marcos l07.Ol-acres of the 289.53-acre Barker tract, known as "Barker Tract A`, utilizing local public and private matching funds in the amount of $1,600.000. Barker Tract A|s now o part of the PCNA. The TPL retained the right to acquire the remaining |0Z52-aoosof the Barker property. |n August oy2Ol2, the 0orkcrTraotRecovery Lands Acquisition (Section 6) proposal for FY,l2 was awarded $|.24Z,2O9.0U, from u request of $2,743,000.00. This award, together with a gift from the TPL of $148,741.00, will enable the City of San Marcos' acquisition o[au additional 92.73 acres of the Barker tract, known hereafter us Barker Tract f8-1, tobo added tothe \O7.Ol-aore acquisition of Barker Tract A. ln SLIM, the FY`l2RLA grant assists \nthe acquisition of 92.73 acres and protects the aggregate of 199.74 acres of the Barker tract. valued at $2,996`100. An application for FY `13 Section 6 8Cp funds will be made for the remaining 89.79 acres, to be known as Barker Tract B-2. Barker Tract A and Barker Tract B- |orc undeveloped parcels located west o[ the city of San Marcos lu southern Hays County. The terrain of Barker Tract &and Barker Tract B-\(slevel tooentlysloping within the northern two-thirds of the parcels, while steeper areas occur along and adjacent to Purgatory Creek iu the southern one-third of the parcels. Overall, the tracts are dominated by'un| woodlands with few open areas. Tract & protects 3'222 linear feet of Purgatory Creek, while 'Tract B-1 will protect 1,003 linear feet of Purgatory Creek. Obiective To acquire, in fee simple. the 92.73-ocrc 8urkc,Trac B-1 parcel, located ac�juceubz the 463-acre Purgatory Creek Natural Area..m aid inthe recovery and de|istingof nine (9) federally listed species, including the (]o|den'cbeeked Warbler, B\ Vireo, and multiple species that inhabit the aquatic ccooystcniof the Edwards Aquifer near San Marcos, Texas. Expected Benefits and Results 1. This project will bring)- very hiL-i benefits to nine (9) listed species, including the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, and seven Edwards Aquifer species, b.v aCq.Uiring 92.73 acres of prime habitat, contiauous to a 463-acre natural area, within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. 'The ultimate acquisition of the entire Barker tract will pnotcctun area ofdocumented (]CVV habitat, creating 600+ acre habitat areal and potentially benefiting Black-capped Vireo populations by providing Suitable nesting areas. T}�cuuquio\tion protects wntcrqua|i1�u��d recharge features of the Edwards Aquifer, helping to ruointoinflowmnodbubhotfbriistedypccica.Exuu]lcutoppunuuidcsDzreduce1iooaods1udyof1boao