BRENHAM PARKS AND REC RECEIVES GRANT FOR HOHLT PARK TRAIL PROJECT

  

The City of Brenham has received a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to assist with a trail project at Hohlt Park.

The $66,400 grant will be used for the Brenham Parks and Recreation Department’s Crossover Nature Trail project, which includes the construction of a new 0.59-mile, six-foot-wide granite nature trail.  The project will also include a boardwalk, benches, and interpretive signage.

Community Services Specialist Crystal Locke says the Crossover Nature Trail will create the city park system’s first public nature trail.  She says the goal is to provide a “clear passive recreational space that promotes outdoor learning, nature, and exercise”.

This area of the park encompasses over 5 acres of land that will include environments such as bog/wetlands, grassy fields, forested areas, and pollinator gardens.  Locke says by creating a space for families, school groups, and nature enthusiasts to explore different environments and learn about the areas of flora and fauna, the city will be “adding a new recreational opportunity” to its park system.

The nature trail at Hohlt Park is located on the south side of the park and can be accessed by the existing one-mile loop walking trail at Field #8 soccer-side.  For trail improvements, the Brenham Community Development Corporation (BCDC) allocated $40,000, which was used to contract with The Land Design Group Inc., who put together a preliminary layout and trail specifications, the required matching funds, and landscaping with pollinator and wetland plants.

The TPWD administers the National Recreational Trails Fund in Texas under the approval of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).  The federally funded program receives its funding from a portion of federal gas taxes paid on fuel used in non-highway recreational vehicles.  Funds can be spent on both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail projects such as the construction of new recreational trails, improvement of existing trails, development of trailheads or trailside facilities, and acquiring of trail corridors.

The TPWD will next begin environmental and archaeological resource reviews of the project.  After reviews are completed, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Environmental group and the FHWA will have to review and approve the project.  City staff are anticipating entering into an agreement with TPWD and beginning the project in spring 2021.

Click here to view a site map of the nature trail.