Presenter: Jack Bauer

Commission Agenda Item No. 19
Action
Land Donation - Brewster County
January 2006

I. Executive Summary: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has been offered a 10-acre inholding as a donation from the Texas Bighorn Society within Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (BGWMA).

II. Discussion: BGWMA represents diverse desert upland, mountain, and Rio Grande River riparian habitat in Brewster County. The facility has realized significant boundary change over the past decade as staff has progressed to acquire privately owned tracts within the BGWMA boundary. In January 2003, the Commission approved the transfer of approximately 9,825-acres called Brushy Canyon from the Nature Conservancy of Texas to TPWD. Additionally, the recent TPWD and Texas General Land Office land exchange aggregated TPWD and GLO ownership into contiguous tracts for each agency. BGWMA currently contains 102,126.98 acres.

The Texas Bighorn Society (TBS) has offered to donate to TPWD the SE/4 of the NW/4 of the NW/4 of section 25 in Block G-9. TPWD currently owns 410 acres within this Brushy Canyon section that includes other privately owned tracts. The TBS remains committed to assist TPWD in the protection of the vital Brushy Canyon travel corridor for bighorn sheep and other wildlife.

III. Recommendation: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

"The Executive Director is authorized to take all steps necessary to acquire by donation the SE/4 of the NW/4 of the NW/4 of section 25 in Block G-9 in Brewster County as an addition to Black Gap Wildlife Management Area."

Attachments - 1

  1. Exhibit A - Property Map

Commission Agenda Item No. 19
Exhibit A

Black Gap Wildlife Management Area
(post GLO-TPWD Land Exchange)