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
Feeling the Burn in Big Bend
"It’s a place of delicate balance between fiercely competing plants, many living at the edge of their geographic ranges and tolerances for temperature and aridity. It’s an ecosystem on a knife edge, dependent on regular rains and steady temperatures. So in 2011, when...
Off-limits Boerne preserve is an oasis in the Texas Hill Country
As more and more people move to the Texas Hill Country, native plants and animals will need special sanctuaries to call their own. The board members who run one such wildlife haven, the private 644-acre Cibolo Preserve in Boerne, offered an exclusive look inside the...
Junction’s water issues
The Hill Country Alliance hopes to be part of the solution for how our rural communities can solve complicated problems like the one that occurred in Junction last month. On August 26th, the City of Junction Water System issued a Boil Water Notice to all of its...
‘Growth Summit’ Highlights Central Texas Economy
The Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit convened in San Marcos Friday, showcasing the economic strength of Central Texas. According to labor statistics presented at the summit, cities and counties all along the I-35 corridor have seen job growth well above the national...
HCLT hires first full time Executive Director
The Hill Country Land Trust has hired Jennifer Lorenz to be their first full time Executive Director. "I am thrilled to come on to an organization that has been doing great things before I got here; including having 20 fantastic permanent land protection agreements...
Dripping Springs plans effluent reuse but wants discharge permit
The city of Dripping Springs, facing an array of opponents to its plan to discharge nearly 1 million gallons per day of treated effluent into Onion Creek, has come up with a proposal to reuse the treated wastewater and is asking the opponents to help pay for the plan....