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
Spain’s Abengoa SA Obtains Backing From Creditors To Evade Bankruptcy
Spanish energy company Abengoa SA (NASDAQ:ABGB) has obtained the support of about 75% of its lenders to reorganize its large debt and ask for additional time from the judiciary for negotiations targeted at preventing bankruptcy as per a document. The organization...
Garney Construction Taking Over Vista Ridge Water Pipeline
Missouri-based Garney Construction is now the owner of the Vista Ridge water pipeline project after attorneys representing the construction firm, former owner Abengoa Vista Ridge, and other partners came to an agreement on Tuesday afternoon. Garney was already a...
Austin homebuyers are moving farther from city center amid rising home prices
In recent years, urbanization has become a dominant narrative in American cities like Austin. Since the 1990s, Austin has touted the "smart growth" concept, which should have more people rushing to live centrally rather than in suburbs. And downtown Austin is indeed a...
Abengoa is out, and Vista Ridge is stronger than ever
One of the two great ironies of the Vista Ridge saga is how Abengoa was supposed to bolster the controversial water project but instead became an albatross that threatened to doom the pipeline before it ever could be built. As a behemoth in clean energy technologies,...
Lone Star rail dodges ‘kill shot’ but put under microscope
The rail district that has spent a decade and more than $26 million looking into a Georgetown to San Antonio commuter line, floundering after Union Pacific shut off the possibility of using its freight tracks, for now has survived one move to cut off critical funding....
TWDB announces the 2015 Texas Rain Catcher Award recipients
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. The award recipients have displayed excellence in rainwater harvesting in Texas in five...