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
As the Lone Star State booms, our wide-open spaces shrink
As the heart of Texas — the Texas Triangle — swells with population, the cornfields and sunflower stands recede before the march of the suburbs. But there is a glimmer of hope because ranchers and environmentalists, hunters and city dwellers now have something crucial...
New Law May Not Thwart Hays County Water Project
On a recent weeknight, nearly 200 Hays County residents packed into the Wimberley Community Center for what some described as a celebration. Six months earlier, three times as many had stormed the place demanding state legislation they hoped would thwart a major water...
Residents of Hill Country town upset about wind farm plan
They first started appearing in West Texas, where the wind howls through oil rigs. Then it was the Panhandle, and small towns along Interstate 20, like Sweetwater, where cattle farms have given way to giant, white spinning blades. Now the wind turbines are getting...
Transportation the Talk of Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit
“A key area for improving connections, he said, is transportation. Raising the opportunity to finally plan and build commuter rail service between the two cities with stops all along the way, Adler said, “Austin is ready to have those data-driven conversations....
Join GEAA protecting landowner rights and water
TCEQ recently approved a plan by the Johnson Ranch subdivision in Comal County to dump approximately 350,000 gallons per day of treated sewage effluent on their neighbors' land. Neighboring families have spent the last year and hundreds of thousands of dollars...
Texas Farmers Brace for New Clean Water Rule
In the 65 years that Tommy Calvert has grown hay and raised cattle in Denton County, he’s never applied for a federal permit. But with a new national clean water rule in effect, he's not sure if it's something he needs to think about. After heavy rains, runoff from...