The project the late Gay Ruby Dahlstrom worked for almost a decade over is now complete and open to the public as a nature preserve and conservation easement.

Hays County, the Hill Country Conservancy and the Dahlstrom family announced the opening of the Gay Ruby Dahlstrom Preserve. The nature preserve is located in Buda on the Dahlstrom Ranch spanning 384 acres of undeveloped land.

Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jones said the county fully supported the project and invested more than $5 million into it.

“The county wanted the preserve to benefit the environment, residents and hopefully the school children,” Jones said. “This is a lot of natural land that is uninterrupted by development and we are glad to see it open.”

Read more from Katie Burrell with Hays Free Press News-Dispatch here