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 River, a City’s Pride, Yet Still Impaired
People in San Antonio are more educated about water conservation and management than anywhere else I have lived, and as the city’s Tricentennial approaches in May, people are understandably proud of the $384 million San Antonio River Improvements Project. The...
Be wary of border ‘takings’ for wall
Abuse is precisely what occurred when the government acquired border land a decade ago, including for a barrier in southernmost Texas, according to an investigation by the Texas Tribune and ProPublica. The reporting by T. Christian Miller of ProPublica and the Texas...
Ecologist challenges the myths about Cedar, Texas’ most hated tree
Every year, cedar fever descends on Central Texas, and with it comes a deep-seated, Texas-sized hate for the mountain cedar. “Cedar fever is not just any allergy,” wrote Patricia Sharpe in a 1986 issue of Texas Monthly. “It’s a scourge, a plague that smites the just...
$2B Veramendi development could add 7,000 jobs
Nearly a decade into planning and negotiations, the Veramendi master-planned development is “starting to heat up,” according to Stacy Snell, New Braunfels assistant director of planning and community development. At the end of several phases and with an estimated $2...
Ring in the new year with a 2 for 1 calendar sale!
Happy New Year from Hill Country Alliance! We are ringing in 2018 with a buy one get one sale on our 2018 Texas Hill Country Calendar! Now through Sunday, January 7 for each calendar you order online we'll include a second calendar for free! If you purchase 2...
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Offers Exceptional Opportunity to Help Wildlife and Business in Texas and the Hill Country
With fish and wildlife populations under increasing pressure in Texas and throughout the country, Texans are hailing a new opportunity to reverse this trend. House bill 4647, known as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, would provide $1.3 billion annually from...