S.A. lawmakers seek Missions Park expansion

Washington, Oct 10, 2011 -
S.A. lawmakers seek Missions Park expansion

House bill directs DOI to study adding more than 150 acres.
By Gary Martin

WASHINGTON – San Antonio lawmakers are asking the Department of Interior to expand the Missions National Historical Park in Bexar and Wilson counties to accommodate a rising number of visitors, officials said Monday.

A bill filed in the House by Rep. Francisco Canseco, R-San Antonio, would direct the Interior secretary to study the inclusion of roughly 151 acres to the park boundaries.

The lands being studied include the San Antonio River south of downtown where the historical missions were built. The missions stretch from Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada to Rancho de las Cabras near Floresville.

Canseco called the missions “a treasure for San Antonio, Texas and the nation.”

“Reconnecting the San Antonio Missions with the San Antonio River is critical to understanding mission life in Spanish Colonial Texas,” Canseco said.

In addition to historical and cultural value, the park...

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