A 650-acre ranch on Lake Palestine in Henderson County is on track to become Texas' next state park after a $10 million purchase preserved one of the lake's largest remaining contiguous tracts.
Here's what to know
According to The Texas Tribune, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation acquired the property and expects to keep it until the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department can buy it, likely in late 2027.
That timetable depends on the voter-approved Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a $1 billion investment lawmakers approved in 2023 to buy and develop parks.
"Opportunities to protect a property like this don't come along very often, and when they do, timing is critical," Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Anne Brown told the Tribune. "TPWF was able to step in and secure this land now so it can ultimately become a place where generations of Texans can enjoy the outdoors."
The future park lies about 18 miles west of Tyler and 20 miles east of Athens, with roughly 2,000 feet along Lake Palestine.
It features pine woods; native grasses; a pecan orchard; a 58-foot-deep lake; about 10 ponds; and habitat for white-tailed deer, bobcats, and waterfowl, the outlet noted.
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More background
The Pollard family had held the land since 1940, and it was part of the family's business, Texas Pecan Nursery, for decades.
Over time, it also became a setting for family gatherings, hunting, and fishing.
For Sam Pollard, president of Texas Pecan Nursery, the connection is personal. "This land is part of my soul," he told the Tribune. "It means a lot to me that we can leave a legacy for people to enjoy."
TexasLand represented the Pollard family in the sale.
"The first time that I went out there, I thought, this place looks like a state park. It just had that look," TexasLand co-founder Josh Smith said, according to the Tribune.
He said the property stayed under contract for almost a year while agency leaders, park planners, and wildlife biologists visited the site and conducted evaluations.
What's being done?
The project is moving ahead through a combination of philanthropy and public funding.
At the Texas Tribune Festival, Brown said this kind of philanthropy "brings creativity to the table" because the foundation can purchase land and hold it temporarily until the state is ready, helping conserve places that might otherwise be lost.
The delay also has a budget purpose.
Madelon Allen, a public information officer at TPWD's State Parks office, said the extra time allows the state to earn more interest on Centennial Parks Conservation Fund money before using it to buy and develop the property, per the Tribune.
After the transfer happens, the park is expected to open in stages.
TPWD intends to begin with guided access, then add day-use and overnight opportunities, the news site reported. The agency also plans to restore habitat and gather public input, while future visitors could have access to boating, paddling, swimming, and fishing opportunities; trails; campsites; and blufftop views over Lake Palestine.
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