http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ &Date=20070501&ID=6823464
May 1, 2007 1:01 PM ET Foundation buys Cobb Cavern Preserve in WillCo The Williamson County Conservation Foundation has finalized the purchase of a 64-acre conservation easement for Cobb Cavern Preserve, located northeast of State Highway 195 and north of Georgetown. The foundation bought the property from the Lyda Family Trust. Cobb Cavern Preserve contains a valuable portion of Cobb Cave one of the longest caves in Texas and home to two endangered species. The property also includes a portion of the springshed for Cobb Springs, home to the Georgetown salamander. The Williamson County Conservation Foundation received a $725,000 federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 2005. The grant provided 75 percent of the cost to buy the property, with the remainder donated by the seller. "This significant conservation acquisition allows the Foundation and Williamson County to take a positive step towards conserving key endangered species while balancing the needs of economic growth faced by the county as one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation," says Williamson County Precinct 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman, president of the Williamson County Conservation Foundation. In recent years, the foundation and Williamson County have coordinated on acquiring a number of preserves to in an effort to protect endangered invertebrate species, including: Sunless City, Wilco and Millenium preserves within the Southwest Regional Park, and Beck Preserve. In April, the foundation was recognized as a nominee for the "Best Real Estate Awards - Community Impact" award by the Austin Business Journal for the purchase of the Beck Preserve. The approximately 42-acre Beck Preserve is located on the southwest corner of RM 620 and Great Oaks Drive, and is home to the endangered invertebrate Bone Cave harvestman.
