Mid City Times

The City Council has approved the acquisition of two land parcels to further the Open Space Conservation Program and Mayor Mattie Parker’s initiative to preserve 10,000 acres of greenspace in Fort Worth over the next five years. This move also aims to enhance the city's park system.

The council authorized purchasing 41.667 acres along Mahafy Street in northwest Fort Worth for up to $1.73 million, with plans to integrate this property into the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FWNCR). The Open Space Working Group identified this site as a moderate to high priority for conservation due to its old-growth riparian tree canopy and recovering prairie areas. There are no environmental contamination concerns from past activities on this site.

This newly acquired property may provide an additional access point to the Nature Center, reducing truck traffic on pedestrian roadways and acting as a buffer landscape for sensitive ecological areas within FWNCR. "Conservation of this property supports Open Space Conservation Program goals, including ecosystem preservation; stream, river and lake health; and flood control." Funding will come from the 2022 Bond Program Fund dedicated to open space conservation.

Additionally, approximately 152.5 acres will be purchased in northwest Fort Worth from Pioneer Land & Cattle Co. and W.R. Collier at an estimated cost of up to $3.95 million. This area is within the Silver Creek watershed and has been identified as both a moderate-to-high conservation priority and a water quality priority zone by the Open Space Working Group.

This land includes endangered Cross-Timbers forest ecosystems along with delicate prairie ecosystems adjacent to riparian zones and floodplains along Silver Creek. It aligns with goals outlined in the Lake Worth Greenprint Plan developed with Trust for Public Land support: ecosystem preservation; stream, river, lake health; recreation; flood control.

Future master planning will address land management needs while preparing it for public use by connecting it with existing trail systems under Fort Worth's Active Transportation Plan guidelines.

The city plans on leasing back these properties at no cost for twelve years allowing current agricultural practices such as cattle grazing which help manage maintenance costs through invasive species control or preventing overgrowth issues

Funding sources include budget allocations within Water/Sewer Gas Lease Capital Project Fund alongside contributions from last year’s bond program initiatives targeting similar objectives around conserving natural spaces throughout greater metropolitan areas like ours here locally!