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
Lands that I love
Our streams, woods, grasslands, and lakes are at greater risk than at any time in our history, but the stories of three places—a ranch in the Hill Country, a forest in East Texas, and a prairie outside Fort Worth—prove that ordinary people can find inventive ways to...
2016 Soil for Water Talk Series
Soil for Water will be hosting three free talks this fall teaching practical management techniques. Come learn how to improve the condition of your land, store more water on-site, increase biodiversity and productivity, and reduce the effects of drought and flooding....
TESPA continues focus on Hill Country groundwater threats
The Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA), originally formed as a response to Electro Purification development proposal near Wimberley, is continuing their focus on Hill Country groundwater issues by addressing new threats to area groundwater supply....
Bankruptcy sheds more light on Abengoa’s Vista Ridge dealings
Spanish conglomerate Abengoa routed nearly $119 million in borrowed funds for the Vista Ridge pipeline project through a nonprofit water supply corporation, according to bankruptcy court filings. Exactly why that money was funneled through the nonprofit Central Texas...
State to hear Flying L versus Bandera County water case
“It is hard to spend tax dollars on lawyer’s fees…[but] when one property owner deems their rights supersede another property owner’s…local control is needed,” City of Bandera Mayor John Hegemier said, on the issue of the Flying L Guest Ranch versus the Bandera County...
2016 Bennett Trust Women in Wildlife Conference, Oct. 3-4
Women landowner numbers are growing. Simultaneously, interest in wildlife operations is increasing. An upcoming two-day conference will bring the two together in the Edwards Plateau region. “Women in Wildlife Conservation – Resources to Set a Stewardship Path,” hosted...