News
Inks Lake Park intern battles light pollution
There was once a time in which every star in the sky could be seen at night. Our ancestors experienced an absolute absence of light once the sun set, and the twinkling black sky above was untouched; one could watch the stars twinkle from anywhere in the world. Today,...
Railroad Commission, Kinder Morgan sued over route of Permian Highway Pipeline
Hays County, the City of Kyle and a coalition of Texas Hill Country landowners have filed a lawsuit to fight the route of Kinder Morgan's Permian Highway Pipeline and how the state agency in charge of regulating the oil and natural gas industry applies eminent domain...
Hill Country pipeline opponents are taking Kinder Morgan to court
KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — For months, a handful of towns and counties in the Hill Country have passed formal opposition to the Permian Highway Pipeline — a pipeline set to carry natural gas from West Texas, through the Hill Country, to a hub near Katy. On Tuesday, Hays...
Dallas-Fort Worth metro area saw biggest population growth in Texas in 2018
In a state where the population continues to rapidly swell, the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth region remains a fundamental source for those gains. Adding 131,767 residents from 2017 to 2018, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area gained more residents than any other...
Across the Hill Country, sewage plants threaten to turn clear streams into algae pools
BULVERDE – When Michelle Molina heard about plans for a sewage treatment plant to start discharging wastewater into Indian Creek, she organized her neighbors and started raising money to hire a lawyer to fight the developers behind the plan. They called their group...
Op-Ed: The Hill Country is not the place for a pipeline
The Hill Country is a unique and precious place that is known for its incredible open spaces, clean water, and dark skies. The individuals and communities that live within and around these precious natural resources appreciate them not only for their incredible beauty...
Trump signs orders to speed up oil and gas pipeline construction
HOUSTON — President Trump signed two executive orders on Wednesday that he says will speed up construction of pipelines and other projects to enhance the production and transport of oil and natural gas between states and across international borders. The actions are...
For the first time, researchers find captive-bred horny toads that survived winter in the wild
For the first time ever, researchers have found captive-bred Texas horned lizard hatchlings alive after winter hibernation. It's a big win for the state reptile, which has vanished from Texas landscapes over the past several decades. New technology has allowed Texas...
Commentary: Texas will have taller billboards unless Legislature acts
The state of Texas has drawn a line in the sky that limits the height of billboards along our highways. Unfortunately, many billboard owners have ignored it. A significant number of the billboards across our state, which are regulated by the Texas Department of...
Reality of drought: Sausages, laws and a water district
Part One of a Two-Part Series - Friday, Mar 29, 2019 From a 1933 textbook “Government in the United States” the author invokes the sage advice of Otto von Bismarck: “The man who wishes to keep his respect for sausages and laws should not see how either is made.” Never...
CWD sampling effort leads to proposed containment zone expansion
AUSTIN – Texas remains vigilant in monitoring and testing for chronic wasting disease, with no reported spread beyond existing containment zones over the last 12 months. However, the discovery of CWD in a free-ranging whitetail near the perimeter of the disease...
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...