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
Lone Star rail on life support after CAMPO vote
The Lone Star rail project, after one last Hail Mary with Union Pacific, is approaching the end of the line. And after state and federal regulators cross and dot a few t’s and i’s, it is likely that the Lone Star Rail District, which has been attempting for 13 years...
San Antonio City Council urged to restore natural resource provisions into SA Tomorrow Plan
Last week, the San Antonio Planning Commission removed two important provisions from the SA Tomorrow Plan, one for impervious cover and one for night sky protection. The SA Tomorrow Plan, more than a year in the making, will be the city’s prevailing document setting...
What Happens to the U.S. Midwest When the Water’s Gone?
"For the past 60 years, the Ogallala has been pumped out faster than raindrops and snowmelt can seep back into the ground to replenish it, thanks largely to irrigation machinery like the one sleeping nearby. As a result, in parts of western Kansas, the aquifer has...
Commentary: Texas Hill Country is on the Edge of Night
“Without leadership from our rapidly urbanizing cities, we stand to lose all of the groundwork we’ve laid to protect night skies in the Hill Country,” said Katherine Romans, Hill Country Alliance executive director. “San Antonio was on the right track in including the...
Water Forward: Planning for the Next 100 Years, August 3 in Austin
The next installment of the Imagine Austin Speaker Series will focus on developing a water plan to take us through the next century. Austin Water Director, Greg Meszaros and Integrated Water Resource Plan Community Task Force Chair and HCA board member, Sharlene...
Commentary: Let’s base Hays County water policy on science, not guesswork
Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley writes that he will ask the county judge and fellow commissioners to help fund an initiative to “develop the science and monitoring that we need to make informed decisions” about groundwater pumping from the Edwards and...