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
Our Water Future Is Not For Sale
San Antonio’s business-as-usual is putting our water future at risk. Last week Brooks City Base sought rush-rush rezoning approval to allow Niagara Bottling to put San Antonio’s water in plastic bottles to sell nationwide. This, while San Antonio Water System (SAWS)...
Barton Springs – Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Expansion News, Map, And FAQs
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) has set up a new page on their website devoted to the annexation of the white zone of the Trinity in Hays County. It currently includes a map of annexed area, a copy of the final bill, and a FAQ page. For...
Post-Flood Riparian Recovery Workshops Planned for Wimberley and Blanco Communities
In the wake of the Memorial Day 2015 floods that roared through Central Texas, people in the Hill Country are left grappling with the aftermath. Images of hundred-year-old cypress trees, stripped bare of their bark and ripped up from their roots, inevitably turn our...
Texas Water Symposium to Feature Regional Water Experts, June 18 in Fredericksburg
Regional Growth and Our State Water Planning Process: How You Can Get Involved The 8th Annual Texas Water Symposium series continues this June in Fredericksburg with a personal conversation between Hill Country water experts about the State’s water planning process...
Six Schools Win Rainwater Revival Grants to Fund Conservation Projects
HCA was happily overwhelmed with 13 terrific Rainwater Revival grant applications from Hill Country schools this year. Though all projects had merit, the three judges made difficult choices and picked six deserving schools to receive $1,000 awards each. “Judging by...
Zoning Change for Water Bottling Plant Paused for a Second Look
Environmental groups called foul this week when the City of San Antonio Zoning Commissionapproved a plan to rezone a section of Brooks City Base to make way for a possible water bottling plant on Tuesday. The fast-tracked rezoning request was on the agenda for City...