AP: Texas

10/16/2005

Associated Press

An 8,622-acre site saved from suburban development has officially opened as a state natural area, permanently protecting Government Canyon's land, water and wildlife.

Government Canyon State Natural Area opened Saturday after a 12-year campaign that raised $16 million to shield it from development. Dignitaries and environmentalists from around the country gathered to celebrate, and hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts eagerly hit the canyon's 40 miles of trails.

Will Rogers, president of the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land, said Government Canyon is "one of the largest natural spaces near an urban area anywhere in the country," located only 16 miles from downtown San Antonio.

"Many of our nation's families do not have a wonderful place close at hand like Government Canyon — places where they can be with nature, be with each other and feel the magic and sense of wonder that fills the natural world," Rogers said.

The site is one of only eight state natural areas in Texas, which are different from state parks. Recreational use is secondary to preservation and education goals at natural areas.

San Antonio almost lost Government Canyon as such a place in the 1970s, when the area was slated to become a suburb. The Sierra Club — represented by San Antonio's current mayor, Phil Hardberger — filed a lawsuit to protect the land and the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, over which most of the canyon lies. The suit resulted in conservation restrictions ensuring the purity of the aquifer, which supplies San Antonio's drinking water.

Water isn't the only thing protected in the canyon. Among the native species are the Government Canyon bat cave spider and endangered golden-cheeked warbler, whose habitat visitors will not be allowed to approach during mating and nesting seasons.

And while visitors will be confined to trails and designated areas, the site has been designed as a tourist destination. Educational exhibits are featured in the canyon's visitors center, which was especially constructed to mimic the way the aquifer collects rainwater. Interpretive tours will also be offered, led by volunteers with the nonprofit group Friends of Government Canyon.

"It will be a very popular place," said Kyle Cunningham, who was instrumental in raising money to open the canyon as a natural area. "I hope the people treat it with respect."

___

Information from:

Houston Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/

San Antonio Express-News: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/