Date: March 20, 2006
Contact: Kelly Irvin/207-3075

Crownridge Canyon Natural Area
grand opening slated for March 25

The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, the Friends of the Parks, and Friends of Friedrich Park invite the public to celebrate the first opening of a park property purchased with Proposition 3 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program funds when they celebrate the opening of Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 25.

The 207-acre property, purchased in 2001 with Proposition 3 Sales Tax funds totaling $1.76 million, is home to several recharge features, one of which is known to contain endangered karst invertebrates. It is also home to an endangered songbird, the Golden-cheeked Warbler.

Natural Areas staff and trained volunteer guides will lead tours of the park immediately following the ceremony. Comfortable walking shoes and long pants are recommended for the tours.

The park improvements include entry drive, parking, screened park toilets, a covered shelter with seating, a rainwater harvesting demonstration area, interpretive signs, way-finding signs and 7,000 linear feet of accessible trails. The park also has protective safeguards for its karst features, which are irregular limestone regions with sinks, underground streams and caverns.

District 8 Councilman Art Hall, Friends of the Parks President Bonnie Conner and Parks and Recreation Department Director Malcolm Matthews are expected to attend the ceremony.

The park is also enhanced by two public art components funded through an Arts in the Community Grant. Artist Jeannette MacDougall created six interpretive panels featuring the geology, plants, animals and human history of the property, using a combination of drawings, paintings and text. In addition, MacDougall collaborated with artist Oscar Alvarado to create a tile mosaic mural on one wall and the floor of the covered shelter.

The park project was funded with $500,000 in Proposition 3 sales tax funds, a grant of $14,000 from the Office of Cultural Affairs to the Friends of Friedrich Park, and $637,484 from the 1999 Bond Program, for a total of $1,151,484.

The Proposition 3 sales tax of one-eighth of one cent was approved by voters in May 2000 in order to provide funds to acquire sensitive lands over the Edwards Aquifer and to create passive recreation use, where appropriate. The program dedicated $40.5 million to land purchases and $4.5 million for maintenance and operations.

To reach the park, take the Camp Bullis exit off IH-10 West, go left on Camp Bullis Road under 1604 and follow the road through Crownridge Subdivision to the intersection with Luskey. Turn right on Luskey, the park is on the right. ##

Comments can be sent to kirvin@sanantonio.gov.