History of the Kendall County Park System

History of the Kendall County Park System. . Representatives of Cibolo Nature Center, The Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Land Trust Alliance first met with Kendall County Commissioner's Court in the spring of 2003 to propose creating a county park system to preserve natural areas and provide outdoor recreation. At that meeting the court appointed Brent Evans to head a 23 member citizen's advisory committee to create a Master Plan for Parks and Open Space. The committee included volunteers from all precincts and consultants from The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and advisors from other counties. , To determine what kinds of parklands people living in Kendall County wanted, in May of 2004, a professional, county-wide poll was conducted by The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Cibolo Conservancy. Throughout the process local newspapers and the Kendall County website kept citizens informed. When it was presented to the court, The Kendall County Master Plan for Parks and Open Space was adopted unanimously by the commissioners, and Proposition One, a $5,000,000 bond proposal to fund a parks system for natural areas and outdoor recreation, was placed on the ballot. , Proposition One passed overwhelmingly, and the Commissioner's Court began work with citizen research and review teams to find and acquire parkland. , This 25-acre parcel on the Guadalupe River was purchased in 2005 and was the first parkland financed through Proposition One. In 2006, Kendall County Partnership for Parks (KCPP) was formed to promote the preservation of Kendall County's natural heritage and the development of recreational opportunities. The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation supported a proposal from KCPP with a generous grant to assist in the development of the park. At the recommendation of KCPP, the Commissioner's Court officially adopted the name James Kiehl River Bend Park. , Proposition One showed that citizens of Kendall County appreciate their natural heritage and want their children and grandchildren to enjoy the natural wonders of the county. The legacy of Proposition One is a park system that will continue to grow with the needs of the county for outdoor recreation, fresh air, clean rivers, and public natural areas. , The Kendall County Park system was conceived and created by the citizens of the county. It is an example of local residents and government working together to create a lasting legacy. , In 2006, Brent Evans accepted the Texas Environmental Excellence Award for Volunteerism from the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality on behalf of all the volunteers and public servants who worked long and hard to create the Kendall County Park System: , Kendall County Judges , Gaylan Schroeder and Eddie John Vogt , Kendall County Commissioners , Rusty Busby . Darrel Lux . John Kight . Gene Miertschin . Anne Reissig . Kenneth Rusch , Kendall County Citizen Committees , Paul Barwick . Phillip Bell . Jimmy Britton . Colin Campbell . Ann Dietert . Georganna Dillon . Brent Evans . Carolyn Chipman Evans . Paula Hayward . Bill Jolly . Anne Lambert . Jerry McFarlen . Linda Manning . Mike Morton . David Pipes . Bitsy Pratt . A.C. Schwethel . Marian Spence . Rufus Stephens . Marilyn Tremper . Vance Wallace . Bill Ward . Art Wilson . John Woolard . Jan Wrede . Steve Young , Kendall County Partnership for Parks , Diane Bartlett . Dan Basarich . John Benedict . Sharon Benedict . Ron Cisneros . Dan Denbow . Kristie Denbow . Judy Dewey . Brent Evans . Anne Lambert . Ruth McArthur . Kristen Scheller . Charles Wetherbee , Captions , Center area: Vote Yes Prop 1 - Parks and Natural Areas for Kendall County - This Pol Adv Provided by Kendall County Citizens for Parks and Natural . This historical marker was erected by Kendall County Partnership for Parks. It is Near Comfort in Kendall County Texas