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
More than twice the size of Texas
To slow extinctions and climate change, President-elect Joe Biden has embraced a plan to conserve 30 percent of U.S. land and 30 percent of its ocean waters by 2030. It is perhaps the most ambitious commitment to conservation by a U.S. president. How he proceeds will...
Nation’s largest land bridge for people and wildlife opens in San Antonio
A very special public (and animal!) works project is now open in the Alamo City. Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, the United States' largest wildlife crossing, opened in Northwest San Antonio on December 11. At 1 pm on Friday, officials lifted construction barriers on...
US Supreme Court dismisses Texas petition for review in Pecos River dispute
The Pecos river runs from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, New Mexico through New Mexico and Texas and eventually into the Rio Grande River at the Texas-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas. In 1949, Texas and New Mexico signed the Pecos River Compact, and...
Environmental groups allege Texas rubber-stamped industrial plants’ pollution — and that the EPA looked the other way
A group of Texas environmental groups say the federal Environmental Protection Agency looked the other way when Texas didn’t require tough enough rules on air pollution for several refineries, gas plants and chemical plants. The Environmental Integrity Project, along...
Bandera Canyonlands Alliance launches public awareness campaign
The Bandera Canyonlands Alliance (BCA) is urging local residents in Bandera and Uvalde counties to be aware of a precedent-setting permit application that would put pristine area waterways at risk. The Colorado-based Young Life organization is asking the Texas...
Opinion: Charity, Not Profiteering
The Texas landscape is changing, and not always for the better. Increasing population and expanding development are destroying native habitat, reducing access to clean and plentiful water, and threatening agricultural production. Between 1997 and 2017, over 2.2...