The mission of the Hill Country Alliance is to bring together a diverse coalition of partners to preserve the open spaces, starry night skies, clean and abundant waters, and unique character of the Texas Hill Country.
Our Work
Land
The Texas Hill Country region covers over 11 million acres in 17 counties of mostly privately held land.
Water
Thirteen Texas rivers begin in the Hill Country and provide water for millions of downstream neighbors.
Night Sky
The Hill Country sits on the edge of night and as development pushes westward, we are losing our view of the night sky.
Community
90% of Hill Country lands are in unincorporated areas where there is little authority to plan for growth.
Collaboration
HCA serves as the backbone organization and fiscal sponsor of the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network.
Latest News
Sen. Fraser Decides Against Running for Re-election
State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, announced Tuesday that he is not running for re-election, ending a tenure at the Capitol that has spanned four decades. "There comes a time when leaders must take a look at the trail they have blazed and reflect on all they...
Texas legislators mostly kept hands off local control
A simmering feud between state lawmakers and municipal leaders over local control never quite reached full boil this year. Spooked by Gov. Greg Abbott’s push against “unchecked overregulation” and by tea party Republicans who filed bills to limit local government,...
After Error, Hays County Groundwater Bill is Revived
A bill designed to protect western Hays County residents' water wells in light of a massive groundwater pumping project is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk —following an emotional week of political drama over an issue once considered local and relatively...
Legislative victory for Texas’ working lands
Texas Agricultural Land Trust: HB1925, authored by Representative Charlie Geren, will move the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). TPWD is well-suited to ensure that the program meets its purpose,...
A Scientist who Modeled Texas’s Blanco River in 2007 Probes for Lessons After the Deadly Flash Flood
As news spread of the devastating and deadly flooding west of Austin, Tex., last weekend (followed by so much more), I started exploring what’s known about flood risks along the Blanco River and other waterways in Texas’s “Flash Flood Alley.” I came across a 2007...
Tussle in Legislature over Hueco Tanks, Hays County water
Residents of flood-ravaged Hays County were furious Tuesday that State Rep. Mary González used a legislative maneuver in an attempt to kill a local bill they say will protect their wells. In calls and emails, several asked why a lawmaker whose district is 500 miles...
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm awarded REI grant to expand access to natural places in Texas
The Cibolo Nature Center & Farm was awarded a $10,000 grant from specialty outdoor retailer REI for recreational trail improvements to increase public access to wild, open places in Texas, executive director Carolyn Chipman Evans said Thursday. “We are honored to...
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