Spring Creek Trail Gaining Opposition

The city of Garland is running into opposition to a plan to build a nature trail through the Spring Creek Nature Preserve.

The city wants more people to use the nature preserve, and wants to start by building a connector trail three-quarters of a mile long through the forest.

Right now, the city is finalizing a near-$600,000 construction bid to build the trail.

“The trail provides connection to more sidewalks, along where you have connections to destinations where people go for shopping, schools, recreation, home, so it actually allows for the public to enjoy natural resources," said Ann McGinnes, Garland senior park.

The trail will be 12 feet wide.

However, the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest said it wants to maintain the pristine bottomland forest on the edge of North Garland.

“Either decrease the scale of the project or cancel the trail project so the preserve stays as wild and as pristine as possible,” said Matt Mortimer, president of the preservation society.

The trail is the first phase of a bigger plan to build a 3.5-mile-long trail around the preserve that has been in the planning stages since 1992.

Hiker Tram Tran, who regularly visits the nature preserve, said she believes the price of nature is priceless.

"A bigger trail would mean more people, less nature, that’s what they say,” Tran said. “But I think everyone deserves to have access to nature, even if it's just a little amount."

The first phase of the trail will be finished in September.

The final phase will be finished toward the end of 2013. The final phase of the trail is still not funded.