Two Hays County citizens committees — the Parks and Open Space Advisory Board (POSAB) and the Shooting Sports Task Force (SSTF) — are at odds about how the county should spend the remaining $8.4 million out of $30 million in parks and open space money approved by voters in May 2007.

About 1,400 acres of land adjacent to the San Marcos Baptist Academy is among the 15 parcels being assessed by Hays County for suitability as a publicly-owned endangered bird habitat and shooting range, according to three insiders.

Despite a cool reception from a federal agency and a local citizens parks advisory board, Hays County commissioners are considering using some or all of the remaining approximately $8.4 million in parks bond money to buy at least 250 acres of endangered bird habitat co-located with more than 300 acres of land suitable for shooting ranges.

A federal agency is dubious about a Hays County proposal to place a shooting range on land earmarked for wildlife habitat conservation.