Required by the 10(a) permit issued to the City of Austin and Travis County is the establishment of the BCP system that conserves at least 30,428 acres of habitat. The strategy in assembling the BCP is to acquire land in five major and two minor macrosites-Barton Creek Macrosite, Bull Creek Macrosite, Cypress Creek Macrosite, North Lake Austin Macrosite, Pedernales Macrosite, South Lake Austin Macrosite, West Austin Macrosite-by 2016 if not sooner. Ownership of BCP land is broken out below in two ways - by Macrosite and by holdings of the five major and private partners.

Currently, 27,906 acres of land has been designated as part of the BCP, representing 91.7% of the goal.

By Macrosite:

Barton Creek Macrosite

5,993 acres

Bull Creek Macrosite

4,746 acres

Cypress Creek Macrosite

7,803 acres

North Lake Austin Macrosite

4,563 acres

Pedernales Macrosite

259 acres

South Lake Austin Macrosite

4,030 acres

West Austin Macrosite

462 acres

By Partner:

City of Austin

13,251 acres

Travis County

4,274 acres

The Nature Conservancy of Texas

4,244 acres

Lower Colorado River Authority

2,707 acres

Travis Audubon Society

680 acres

Private BCP Partners

2,750 acres

Initially, those developing the BCCP wanted to set aside as much as 100,000 acres in Travis County for the BCP system. Ensuing discussions and public input regarding property rights, economic development, and land management reduced this number several times to arrive at the goal of 30,428 acres. While this represents to some too little land conserved and to others too much, it is important to note that the BCCP estimated "land development during the 30-year term of the permit will reduce habitat for the listed species as follows: approximately half of known occupied black-capped vireo habitat; 71% of potential golden-cheeked warbler habitat; and 84% of potential karst invertebrate habitat." To better illustrate, this means that under the BCCP, 71% of potential golden-cheeked warbler habitat in Travis County may be developed while only 29% of it is conserved.