A 10-0 vote by Austin City Council on June 3 ensured the permanent preservation nearly 4,100 acres of land home to one of the area’s unique wildlife habitats and key sources of drinking water.

Council via consent June 3 approved the purchase of a conservation easement on the Barton Creek Habitat Preserve, located near Hwy. 71 southeast of Bee Cave, from longtime owners and stewards The Nature Conservancy for up to $2.8 million. The Barton Creek preserve now represents one of the largest pieces of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, a series of protected spaces stretching throughout western Travis County, and the public-private conservation plan on those lands.

Read more from Ben Thompson with Community Impact Newspaper here.