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News
Report: Edwards Aquifer Protection Program ‘brightest success story for conservation in Texas’
A first-of-its-kind report on the growth and environmental health of the Texas Hill Country cites the San Antonio Edwards Aquifer Protection Program as a shining example of conservation efforts in Texas, and is urging other Texas cities to follow suit. Produced by the...
‘Gold rush’ in Hill Country as homebuilding surges; stresses on environment, infrastructure prompt dire warnings
Gone are the days when the Texas Hill Country was just that — rolling hills as the backdrop to a country way of life, a relatively undeveloped and untouched region of the Lone Star State. Gone are the days when dark skies were actually dark, longhorns roamed in...
Rancher sues ConocoPhillips to protect endangered cat’s habitat
A Texas rancher has sued a national oil and gas company that he accuses of harming the habitat of an endangered species of wildcat on his property in DeWitt County. Mike Hamilton, co-owner of his family’s ranch near Cuero, filed a lawsuit in late January against...
We need to embrace traffic congestion, not fight it.
“Almost all of our transportation investments go to support commuters and, by extension, the proliferation of the development pattern that accompanies the commuting lifestyle.” I wrote these words last week for an article on a light rail project here in Minnesota...
New Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Seeks to strengthen military readiness, natural resource conservation, and agricultural productivity
San Antonio, Texas – One of the nation’s newest Sentinel Landscape recognitions has been awarded to the area surrounding Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. The national recognition, the first ever in Texas, will open significant new financial resources to protect...
NRI releases Texas landowner survey to examine status of working lands and needs of land managers.
The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s Texas Land Trends program released the 2022 Landowner Survey for landowners who own or operate private working lands in Texas. This voluntary questionnaire serves to gather information on the needs, preferences,...
72 acres of Blanco river open space protected forever.
We are excited to announce the completion of a 72-acre donated conservation easement of native habitat and open space along the Blanco River in rapidly growing Hays County. The conservation easement on Cathedral Oaks Preserve protects native habitats, water quality,...
Amid troubling UN climate report, Texas ecologist says we have to act fast to adapt to a warming planet.
On Monday, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a new report, sounding the alarm again on the rapid warming of the planet. The publication asserts, in part, that the impacts of global warming are now simply “irreversible.”But there are still...
Parks board continues weighing Zilker Park outreach efforts
The fabled adage, “Please all and you will please none,” seems to be an apt description of many of the city’s community engagement endeavors, with the ongoing outreach around the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan serving as a timely example. Read more from Amy...
State of the Hill Country Report reveals threats to the region
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — Booming population growth and sprawling development, groundwater depletion, changing climate patterns, extreme droughts and floods, and a unique set of policy challenges threaten the natural resources that define the Hill County...
THE ALEXANDER FARM and Hill Country Conservancy collaborate to preserve historic Black- owned farm in Travis County
The descendants of one of the founding African American families of Austin are celebrating their collaboration with Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) as together they’ve worked to further preserve the Alexander's ancestral farm and homestead. Through a combination of the...
Recycling center planned for Fair Oaks Ranch property runs afoul of local laws, residents
A New Braunfels company hoping to open a recycling plant on a property in Fair Oaks Ranch may be permanently sidelined because it didn’t request approvals or permits beforehand. Tobin Maples, the city manager of Fair Oaks Ranch, which is located northwest of San...
Roy Creek Canyon has been untouched for 80 years. Its owners want it to stay that way.
When Lew Adams’ father bought half of Roy Creek Canyon in the early 1940s, he entered into a handshake agreement with the friend who had purchased the other half. Both men promised to preserve the land and change as little as possible. “There's been no cattle, no...
Texas Hill Country: Rolling hills or empty moonscape
I am Milann Guckian, president of Preserve our Hill Country Environment. This is not the job I asked for or wanted in retirement but one I felt I must undertake. I’ve always known I wanted to come back to Central Texas to live out my days. Born in Lockhart, my...
Opinion: How to prevent repeat water crises? Reuse is a part of the answer
February 15, 2021, will forever be etched into our memory. At the height of the climate disaster that struck our state a year ago, over 13 million Texans lost access to clean drinking water. That is approximately half of the state’s population and also includes many...
How to find your city’s sustainability plan online
If you’re watching this latest episode of “Solutionaries,” the newest from our solutions journalism-based digital show, then you’re already well aware that the topic is climate change, and everything environmentally related. You might be wondering, “How sustainable...
Most Texans Worry Water Taps Will Run Dry as Droughts Worsen.
Almost nine of every 10 Texans are concerned that water supplies will be exhausted, given current weather trends and the prospect for worsening drought conditions, according to a new poll. The survey by the non-profit group Texas 2036 found that 88% of registered...
They called him the Angel of Darkness. But this astronomer just wanted to keep West Texas skies pure.
Bill Wren remembers exactly where he was when he was first called the Angel of Darkness. He doesn't remember the year, but it was at a Texas Star Party, an annual gathering of 500 or so amateur astronomers held at the Prude Ranch in Fort Davis, Texas. Wren, a longtime...
Cave climbers work to clean out caves with generations worth of trash.
These days, it's just common sense that pollutants and trash are bad for the Edwards Aquifer, which is San Antonio’s main source of water. But a hundred years ago, landowners thought nothing of using caves or sinkholes on their property as trash dumps. Landowners are...
Dripping Springs extends moratorium on development for 90 days.
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Dripping Springs voted to extend the temporary development moratorium Tuesday night, lasting to May 21. During the moratorium, the city will not accept permit applications for the development of subdivisions, site planning,...
Why de-paving cities could help make things way less hot
If you’ve walked through a heavily populated city with a bustling downtown in the middle of summer, then you know just how hot it can be. It feels like every step you take, you can feel the heat radiating from the sidewalks, parking lots and concrete...
Water utility chief answers questions about boil-water notice
Following an unexpected boil-water notice not related to a winter storm, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros announced his resignation last week from a job he has held for nearly 15 years. Several City Council members took the opportunity to praise his leadership at...
Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape established 2022
The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape, based in the Texas Hill Country, encompasses ranch lands, spring-fed rivers, and one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Within this region, Joint Base San Antonio’s Camp Bullis provides training opportunities for 266...
Texas approves $29M for water, wastewater projects
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has recently approved financial assistance totaling $29,784,375 for four regions’ water, wastewater, and flood projects...The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with...
‘A theme park’: Brackenridge neighbors protest expanding Sunken Garden Theater in San Antonio
Blanquita Sullivan grew up in the River Road neighborhood she still calls home — next to Brackenridge Park just north of downtown and off Broadway. Living next to the park has given her the chance to chat with bird-watchers and observe Easter holiday celebrations, car...
Rapid development of Comal County brings concerns about the aquifer
Comal County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country and it’s no secret why. The scenery is beautiful. But for some, that is exactly why development is concerning. Much of Comal County sits over the contributing and recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer....
How does the Edwards Aquifer work & why is it so heavily regulated? KSAT Explains
SAN ANTONIO – If you’re a regular KSAT 12 viewer, you’ve seen it before - our Weather Authority team reporting on the Edwards Aquifer’s water levels. The aquifer is the primary source of water for millions of us around South Central Texas and the Hill Country. Its...
Hill Country State Park sees additional protection from land development threat
New conservation protections are being added in Comal County thanks to the combined efforts of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to safeguard Honey Creek Spring Ranch from...
High-end, luxury home’ community coming to Dripping Springs
A new luxury master-planned community is coming to Dripping Springs, with Nashville-based developer Southern Land Company (SLC) promising “high-end” homes in the Texas Hill Country. On Monday, SLC announced it closed on its first land acquisition in Dripping Springs,...
Regenerative ranching is better for the environment, but can it be profitable?
Meredith Ellis harbors no illusions when it comes to the demands of running a cattle ranch. As she offers me a cozy blanket to keep warm during our “buggy” ride on her Kawasaki Mule around her family’s three-thousand-acre G Bar C Ranch on a crisp December morning, she...