Our Work
Land
HCA’s Land Program seeks to increase private land stewardship and permanent land conservation across the Hill Country, and works with regional land trusts to educate owners about conservation easements, track conservation metrics, and consider conservation priorities.
Water
HCA’s Water Program assists grassroots groups that champion water stewardship in their communities, advocates for policies that protect groundwater and surface water, and promotes resilient water supplies through the advancement of One Water projects.
Night Sky
HCA’s Night Skies Program helps Hill Country counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the recognition and celebration of certified Dark Sky Places in our region.
Communities
HCA’s Communities Program builds connections across county lines, supporting rural leaders in protecting the unique character of their communities while promoting innovative approaches to building healthy, vibrant communities throughout the Texas Hill Country.
The Latest
San Antonio enters Stage 3 watering rules for the first time ever — here’s what it means
The San Antonio Water System officially entered Stage 3 watering restrictions for the first time in the utility’s 30-year history on Tuesday. Under the new watering rules ordinance, which was approved by the City Council last week, all SAWS customers — including those...
Local Hill Country leaders discuss opportunities for innovative water management
Wimberley, TX - With a growing population, increasing demand on water resources, and recurring drought conditions, community leaders from across the Hill Country are thinking hard about how to manage growth while protecting our water supply. That was the focus of the...
A ‘heat dome’ is back over Texas. Here’s what that means (and why it’s the worst).
A heat dome is a high-pressure system that, because physics, traps heat and keeps it there. That pressure system’s atmospheric energy is hard to bust up: The high pressure above is met with the rising heat below, which makes the system especially stubborn and...
Rural Roundup: Building community through art in Kerrville, Texas
On June 8, 2024, the Hill Country Alliance, Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service joined forces for a Rural Roundup in Kerrville, all about Building Community Through Art. This event brought out more than 60...
Texas farmers face mounting expenses as droughts worsen
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, a longtime critic of the federal crop insurance program based in Washington, analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and showed that drought accounts for more crop insurance payouts than any other weather...
DROUGHT & DEMAND: Water conservation a focal point as new style of developments arrive in New Braunfels, Comal County
Hill Country Alliance program director Cliff Kaplan works across the region to promote responsible water use. “It’s kind of become a cliché to say that water is life, but of course, it’s true,” Kaplan said. “None of our communities can exist without water, and if...