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
Austin approves review of Dripping Springs permit
Preliminary findings from Austin’s evaluation of Dripping Springs’ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) draft permit shows the city “meets the criteria” for its beneficial reuse program. The city of Austin evaluated “potential impacts on the qualify of...
Astronomers Encourage Cities to Shield Outdoor Lighting
Our home galaxy, the Milky Way -- that iconic stream of stars coursing across the night sky -- cannot be seen by one-third of humanity and 80 percent of Americans. As the artificial glow from towns and cities increases every year, and starry nights become unfamiliar...
Chronic wasting disease found for first time in wild Texas white-tail deer
State wildlife officials are restricting the transport of live and dead white-tailed deer and requiring sampling of carcasses after the discovery of a fatal disease in a free-ranging deer this week. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Tuesday identified chronic...
TWDB approves $1,961,821 to City Of San Marcos for flood mitigation project
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $1,961,821 consisting of a $1,000,000 loan and $961,821 in loan forgiveness, from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to the City of San Marcos (Hays County)....
Texas Water Symposium planned for February 23 in San Marcos: Watershed Protection Plans: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Waterways at a Community Scale
The third Texas Water Symposium of the 2016-2017 season has been set for 7pm on Thursday, February 23rd at Texas State University Student Center LBJ Teaching Theater in San Marcos, Texas. The Texas Water Symposium is free and open to the public. With the population of...
Citing water conference fee, group claims state open meeting violation
The Texas Water Development Board, a state agency that plays a key role in financing reservoirs, pipelines and conservation projects, wants anyone with an interest in water planning to attend its Water for Texas conference in Austin this week. The registration fee for...