News
State lawmakers look to protect landowners against proposed pipeline project
KYLE, Texas -- A multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline project could change the landscape of Central Texas, but some state lawmakers are doing what they can to make sure landowners in their district are protected. Bill Johnson of Kyle grew up on the 3,800-acre...
The Legislative outlook for Hill Country water resources
This edition of the Texas Water Symposium features lawmakers and analysts looking at current and proposed legislation that will affect water resources and property rights in Texas. Topics addressed include the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, flooding, water well...
White Nose Syndrome is a ‘looming disaster’ for bats in Texas
In the eastern United States, millions of bats have died over the past few years from a disease called white nose syndrome. Biologists across the country are racing to find a cure, or at least slow it down. So far there’s no evidence of white nose syndrome infecting...
In suit filed by state, judge rules for newly incorporated city of Double Horn
BURNET — With a stern admonishment to the Texas attorney general’s office, state District Judge Evan Stubbs ruled Wednesday for the newly incorporated city of Double Horn in a lawsuit that challenged the validity of the city’s status. “Your motion for summary...
Hill Country Alliance 2019 Photo Contest – “The Hill Country: Capturing the Color and Character of the Heart of Texas”
The Hill Country Alliance 2019 Photo Contest is under way! The Texas Hill Country is a unique region of pristine springs, sprawling landscapes, diverse wildlife, star-filled skies, multi-generational land stewards, historic towns, and hidden oases. With a rapidly...
Eminent domain works in Texas — for the takers [Opinion]
Corporate entities that use eminent domain authority to take property often claim the system is working. It does — but only for them. Corporations with this powerful, often abused tool do not have to respect the same rules of transparency that government agencies must...
Travis Audubon announces 2019 Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Hero Chris Harte
AUSTIN, Texas– Travis Audubon announces the selection of the 2019 Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Hero. Every year Travis Audubon honors an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to promoting environmental conservation, education, or advocacy. These...
Biedermann introduces two quarry bills
Two bills introduced to the Texas legislature earlier this month by Canyon Lake’s House Rep. Kyle Biedermann (R-73) could strengthen the state’s regulatory authority over mining operations like Vulcan Materials’ proposed rock quarry at Highway 46 and FM 3009. One of...
Texas Parks & Wildlife halts planned Sandy Creek dredging operation
Landowners Steve Nash and Fermin Ortiz agree on one thing. There is a sand and silt issue in Sandy Creek and Lake LBJ; however they disagree adamantly on what to do about it. “The problem is in the lake. Get it out of the lake,” said Ortiz, whose family owns thousands...
Truck crash spills 42,000 pounds of avocados into South Llano River
If you are spending the weekend at the South Llano River State Park you may have noticed 42,000 pounds of avocados have hit "guac" bottom. Texas Parks and Wildlife posted on social media sites Friday afternoon that park employees had collected bags of avocados...
Hays County commissioners authorize defense agreement with intent to join or file a suit against Kinder Morgan
Hays County Commissioners Court on March 26 unanimously authorized the county’s general counsel to execute a joint defense agreement related to Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline project with the intent of joining or filing suit against the company. The vote,...
Algae infestation is causing an upset among residents along the Blanco River
BLANCO, Texas — Homeowners near the Blanco River say there's an algae problem that's damaging the quality of the river, and it's gotten a lot worse in just a few weeks. "It makes me sick," said Joe Theriot, owner of The Blanco Settlement Riverfront Lodging. "Once a...
Landowners attend workshop on financial, conservation tools: About 90 hear CCCA, Hill Country Alliance speakers
The Comal County Conservation Alliance (CCCA) and the Hill Country Alliance co-hosted the workshop, “Saving Family Lands: Tools for Landowners in Comal County” on Feb. 15 at the Anhalt Dance Hall in Spring Branch. The one-day workshop, which highlighted financial and...
New publication examines consequences of groundwater depletion to agriculture
COLLEGE STATION — A new Council of Agricultural Science and Technology, or CAST, paper examines the causes and consequences of groundwater depletion throughout the U.S. with a focus on how this will affect agriculture — the largest sector of groundwater use. The...
Could a tug-of-war between two Central Texas counties leave residents without drinking water?
Dirk Aaron’s timing was terrible. He took over management of Bell County’s Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District in the summer of 2011, which the National Weather Service regards as the driest year in Texas history. What made the drought particularly...
Homeowners take fight against gas pipeline land grab to U.S. Supreme Court
For nearly a decade, Michelle and Gary Erb lived on a rustic, 72-acre plot of land east of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The bucolic setting was perfect for farming, hiking, and hunting. There, the couple hoped they could build a second home...
Landowners, volunteers wade into riparian restoration effort
While the cooler temperatures March 2 were enough to send some people inside, a number of folks rolled up their sleeves, and pants legs, sowed seeds, and planted vegetation along a stretch of Sandy Creek. “We want to be proactive by doing riparian zone restoration,”...
Rep. Erin Zwiener brings aggregate industry bills
Austin, TX — State Representative Erin Zwiener filed four bills to address concerns from House District 45 residents regarding the proliferating aggregate industry. Aggregate operators include concrete batch plants, gravel pits, and stone crushers. With a rapidly...
J. David Bamberger on fifty years of coaxing his Blanco county ranch back to life
On an overcast day in early February, J. David Bamberger charged down a trail at his ranch near Blanco, pointing out maples he’d planted more than a decade ago. The ninety-year-old land conservationist wanted to determine why the leaves of some of the trees turned...
UPDATE: Georgetown evacuations continue for third week after natural gas leak
The evacuation of 64 businesses and 57 homes in Georgetown due to the results of an initial natural gas leak continued Monday, according to a news release from Atmos Energy. The company would not say when it planned to lift the evacuation order, which started Feb. 20....
Texas Stream Team honored by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The Texas Stream Team, part of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, received a Texas Environmental Excellence Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Governor Greg Abbott and TCEQ commissioners selected 10...
New report by the Texas Land Trust Council highlights over $1 billion in annual economic benefits of conserved lands to flood mitigation, agriculture, water resources
The new study, produced by Siglo Group in partnership with the Texas Land Trust Council, quantifies the value of lands and conservation easements that have been conserved by or with assistance from the Texas land trust community. Values for benefits provided by...
Going dark to reconnect to the night sky
For those who missed it, Feb. 19 brought a super snow moon, the biggest and brightest supermoon of the year. Social media and national news sites lit up with spectacular photos of the event, with an unusually large full moon rising above the horizon. Although...
How a Central Texas community is preparing for wildfires before an emergency happens
Last month, the Lubbock Avalanche Journal reported that though wildfire season typically begins in March, West Texas is seeing wildfires even earlier in the year. As a result, lots of communities have a plan of action for wildfires. But how many Texas communities...
Final draft of Austin Strategic Mobility Plan passes Environmental Commission
Following a presentation on the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan at the March 6 meeting of the Environmental Commission by Annick Beaudet, the assistant director of Austin Transportation, commissioners began asking about some of the environmental aspects of the plan....
Landowners work to “heal” Sandy Creek after flood
An effort to restore Sandy Creek has taken root in Llano County. About 25 landowners, conservationists and other volunteers attended the Sandy Creek Riparian Restoration Field Day March 2 on private property (County Road 316) adjacent to Sandy Creek to assess land and...
San Marcos joins growing list of local governments opposed to Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline
The list of local governmental bodies that have passed resolutions opposing Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline just got longer. San Marcos City Council unanimously voted on March 5 to oppose the 430-mile, 42-inch natural gas pipeline set to be routed through the...
SOAH Judge Rules in Favor of Quarry Opponents
An extremely vocal coalition of area ranchers, business people, ex-military personnel and retired professionals convinced Administrative Law Judge Rebecca Smith to grant them “affected-party” status at a March 6 hearing to determine who has the right to challenge a...
Commentary: We must act now to save our state parks
More than 30 million visitors have taken in the majesty of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. Last year alone, more than 10 million visited the Louvre in Paris with such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa. Imagine for a moment the absurdity of locking these treasures...
Why native plants matter
Restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. By creating a native plant garden, each patch of habitat becomes part of a collective effort to nurture and sustain the living landscape for birds and other animals. Over the past century,...