Great Springs Project selected for National Park Service Assistance on outdoor recreation and conservation project support initiative
Austin, TX – Today, the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) announced the selection of Great Springs Project to receive community planning and technical assistance. Great Springs Project was selected through a competitive process and will receive support to help make outdoor recreation and conservation spaces vital, life-enhancing parts of their communities. NPS assists these efforts by pairing our network of professional landscape architects and community planners with communities to achieve on-the-ground successes.
The goal of Great Springs Project is to add an additional 50,000 acres of protected lands over the Edwards Aquifer recharge and contributing zones between the dense urban areas of Austin and San Antonio, while linking this green corridor via a network of multi-use trails connecting four of Texas’ Great Springs: Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs, and San Antonio Springs.
When completed, the project will result in the protection of natural resources for both aquatic and non-aquatic endangered species, water quality protection for the over two million people in the corridor who rely on the Edwards Aquifer for their drinking water, an economic development catalyst for the cities and counties along the proposed trail routes, and access to nature and health benefits for the projected population of nine million people living in and between Austin and San Antonio.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 421 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice and Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice.
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