City finalizes $1.73M land purchase to expand Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is on track to get 43.2 acres bigger.

During a May 20 meeting, City Council earmarked $1.73 million to add land to the city-owned center’s east side, allowing for an entrance off 199 Frontage Road. The new roadway will keep trucks off roads used by pedestrians and create a buffer between traffic and ecologically sensitive areas of the park,  Jared Wood, the nature center’s manager, said in a statement.

The property’s preservation and protection is funded by the Open Space Conservation Program, which was established in 2019 and received an influx of cash from the 2022 bond. The program — set to receive millions in the 2026 bond proposal — aims to protect the city’s “high-quality natural areas” and aid flood control. The nature center currently covers more than 3,600 acres, according to its website.

The access road could also support future public use for activities like trail running and mountain biking — things not allowed in the nature center’s core protected areas.

“Any potential recreational use would be carefully evaluated to ensure it aligns with our mission, minimizes environmental impact, and reflects public input,” Wood told the Report.

The purchase also moves the city 43 acres closer to its goal to preserve 10,000 acres of green space by 2028. As of May 3, the city had protected a little more than 1,000 acres of land from development for the initiative, created by Mayor Mattie Parker in October 2023.

The land shows “limited encroachment” by invasive species, such as Chinese privet, making it well-suited for minimal restoration efforts, Wood said. The purchase also prevents incompatible development along the center’s boundary, providing officials flexibility to manage the surrounding landscape in support of its goals.

The nature center purchase agreement was initially approved in November 2024 between the city and the property’s owners, members of the Mahaffey family. The family owned the property both as individuals and as co-trustees of the family trust. 

Last December, a member of the family died and left his stake in the property to his wife. Thus, an amendment to the city’s agreement was necessary to update the names and the acreage on the document.

City staff labeled the property as “moderate to high priority” for conservation due to its high-quality prairie and established tree canopy, according to city documents. The house and residential structures take up a “small portion” of the property and can be demolished with no impact to the environment.

The city estimates spending $2,000 annually to maintain the property with measures like prescribed burns and controlling invasive species. While these measures will be initiated by the parks and recreation department, the land itself will be general city property not parkland.

In recent years, Fort Worth has accelerated an initiative to use city dollars to buy out remnants of homeowners who still live inside the nature center. A 25-acre Lakeland subdivision existed in the area before the center was established, and its residents have slowly bid goodbye to their homes as the city has increased financial incentives to sell.

Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected] or @shawlings601. 

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