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News
What’s your view of Hill Country Stewardship?
The 2014 Hill Country Photo Contest runs March 1st through May 31 The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) is seeking photographs that tell the story of our region’s stewardship ethic for publication in its 2015 calendar. The Texas Hill Country is a cherished place, yet it is...
The High Cost of San Antonio’s North-South Water Divide
The fact is the city’s sprawling suburbs, gated communities and ex-urban neighborhoods are addicted to lawn and landscape watering. SAWS officials say about one-third of all the water we use in the hot summer months is pumped to keep grass alive. Not humans, but...
2030 District Points San Antonio Towards Sustainability
It’s full steam ahead for San Antonio 2030 District organizers after January 10th's successful district launch party. Architecture 2030 is a nonprofit that challenges cities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from building operations via energy-saving design and...
Bennett endowment to provide ongoing AgriLife Extension land stewardship programming
A first-of-its-kind endowment made by Eskell and Ruth Bennett will make land stewardship in the Edwards Plateau a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service programming for years to come. Natural resource stewardship and a love for the Texas Hill Country are...
Developer decides not to purchase land near Bracken Cave
All of the advocacy outreach opposing the Crescent Hills project adjacent to Bracken Bat Cave has paid off, Stratford Land officially declined to purchase the property. “Meanwhile, a coalition of conservation groups and local officials worried about the impact of...
Rainfall and recharge reality for the Laurels Ranch, Kendall County = Very very bleak
At The Laurels Ranch we received 29.62 inches of rain for the year 2013. We are very thankful for this close-to-average rainfall year, yet we are needing much more over the longer haul. If you do the math, it can ruin your day. Here's the hard reality for this area of...
Wimberley Citizens and HEB seek common ground
Important commitments for rainwater harvesting, night sky lighting, drainage and other considerations, make this new HEB in one of the Hill Country's most charming communities more tolerable. City Council meets Thursday, January 16th, learn more from Hays County's...
Rainwater harvesting ‘soaking in’ as way to conserve Texas’ water resources
After a long dry period, many parts of the state have finally received some badly needed rain, and those with rainwater harvesting systems have been reaping the rewards of this belated gift from Mother Nature, said Texas A&M AgriLife water resources experts. Read...
The Hill Country Land Trust Welcomes Its First Executive Director
The Hill Country Land Trust (HCLT), a non-profit land conservation group headquartered in Fredericksburg, Texas, announced today that Martha Zeiher has been named its first executive director, effective January 1, 2014. Ms. Zeiher will coordinate the land trust’s...
Regional Premier of WATERSHED: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, January 15
Enjoy the regional premier of the movie WATERSHED, to be followed by a panel discussion featuring international water policy experts. The evening will feature discussion of drought and water policy in Texas and around the world. Sponsored by the Paramount Theatre and...
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm to present three-part seminar for wildlife tax valuation
BOERNE, Texas—Landowners who have an agricultural tax valuation on their property and are interested in managing their land for wildlife are invited to attend a three-part seminar in January to prepare a management plan and application for a wildlife management tax...
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm to present three-part seminar for wildlife tax valuation
BOERNE, Texas—Landowners who have an agricultural tax valuation on their property and are interested in managing their land for wildlife are invited to attend a three-part seminar in January to prepare a management plan and application for a wildlife management tax...
2014 Drought News
May 28, 2014 Award-winning rainwater capture system crowning achievement of retiring Bandera High teacher Congratulations to Brad Flink, who’s RWH project was honored by the Texas Water Development Board with its Texas Rain Catcher Award. HCA’s Rainwater Revival grant...
December 2013 News Archive
December 29, 2013 Saving Rural Roads: One-Man Mission Turns to Island-wide Effort Think of our scenic Hill Country roads as you read this story of rural character preservation from Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Gazette. December 23, 2013 HCA welcomes Randall Arendt back...
2013 County Authority News
October 9, 2013 The Future of San Antonio: Water and Energy Needs Meet Land Use Planning In her recent contribution to the Rivard Report, Amy Hardberger explains, “The success of the city depends on a plan that includes all aspects of planning including water and...
2013 Low Impact & Sustainable Development
December 19, 2013 Forget Golf Courses: Subdivisions Draw Residents With Farms When you picture a housing development in the suburbs, you might imagine golf courses, swimming pools, rows of identical houses. But now, there's a new model springing up across the country...
2013 Public Lands News
November 26, 2013 The Future of Texas State Parks? It’s All About the Money Texas Parks and Wildlife is the only state agency with a dedicated sales tax. Under state law, a portion of the sales tax on sporting goods is meant to go for parks. But lawmakers consistently...
2013 Native Landscape News
December 10, 2013 Why prairies matter and lawns don’t As native landscapes disappear, wildlife disappears, and important ecological processes that insure outcomes such as clean drinking water, climate change buffers, and flood control also disappear. Read more from...
2013 Local/Sustainable Agriculture News
December 19, 2013 Forget Golf Courses: Subdivisions Draw Residents With Farms When you picture a housing development in the suburbs, you might imagine golf courses, swimming pools, rows of identical houses. But now, there's a new model springing up across the country...
2013 Land Stewardship News
February 18, 2013 Farm Bill Update: The Agriculture Act of 2014 and Conservation With the enactment of the Agriculture Act of 2014, known to most of us as the Farm Bill, landowners have more certainty about the availability of federal funds for conservation on farm...
2013 Water Catchment News
September 23, 2013 Llano River Watershed Protection progress and water news from Junction Workgroups will tackle: Invasive Species, Riparian Protection, Water Quality, Upland Management and Water Supply issues. Learn more in the September Newsletter for the Upper...
2013 Water Quality News
December 18, 2013 The Examiner speaks of direct discharge as a Hill Country “Land Heist.” “Terrell Graham and his wife’s family have owned their ranch in the Texas Hill Country for over 100 years. It’s remained a working farm and cattle ranch, and now Texas state...
2013 Water Planning News
December 5, 2013 A new path forward for TWDB On Sept. 1, 2013, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) began serving the citizens of Texas under a new management structure with three full-time Board members. Between that time and the successful passage of...
2013 Water Conservation News
October 20, 2013 Which activities use the most water? In April, 2013, New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), utility provider for the New Braunfels area, created a water usage exhibit to educate the community on which activities use the most water. Learn More August 15, 2013...
2013 Rainwater Harvesting News
November 12, 2013 Sustainability focus of Rainwater Revival “We’re dealing with so many water challenges in the state, particularly here in the Hill Country. There are a lot of unknowns like how to solve the complex water problems and rainwater harvesting is just a...
2013 Groundwater News
December 13, 2013 2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) is now soliciting applications and essays for the 2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship...
2013 Drought News
December 4, 2013 Is the Drought Over Yet? Across the Hill Country, other aquifers, which provide vital spring water for many rivers, are very low and many of their springs and seeps have dried up. These aquifer-fed springs are not only key to local ranchers, but to...
2013 Children in Nature News
September 26, 2013 Connecting Kids with Nature – Mike Mecke What’s Best for Texas? Electronics Whiz Kids Who Are Houseplants, or Computer-Savvy Kids Who Know and Love Nature? Don’t miss Mikes recent columnin Ranch and Rural living Magazine. August 16, 2013 Tools for...
2013 Transportation Planning News
December 29, 2013 Saving Rural Roads: One-Man Mission Turns to Island-wide Effort Think of our scenic Hill Country roads as you read this story of rural character preservation from Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Gazette. November 5, 2013 CAMPO encourages more community...
2013 Night Sky News
December 12, 2013 Sports field lighting doesn’t have to light the night sky "The lighting systems are visible for miles around and produce a substantial amount of sky glow and light pollution... It is essentially impossible to mitigate the impact these types of...