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.
Community Resilience
As our region reacts to ongoing challenges, the Hill Country Alliance is working to keep you connected.
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
50 murals in 50 small towns: How public art can revive communities
In the Spring, Emma Durand-Wood, a longtime Strong Towns contributor, concluded the same while planning a neighborhood walk. “We typically think of public art as about adding character, personality, beauty or visual interest to a place. Part of that can be...
Shield Ranch Barton Creek named the first Urban Night Sky Place in Texas
DarkSky International officially certified Shield Ranch Barton Creek as an Urban Night Sky Place (UNSP). Shield Ranch joins three neighboring designated International Dark Sky Places; Dripping Springs and Bee Cave, Texas – both International Dark Sky Communities – and...
Shield Ranch Barton Creek named first Urban Night Sky Place in Texas
“Shield Ranch is Texas’s 20th International Dark Sky Place certified in the International Dark Sky Places program. In addition to three Developments of Distinction, there are now 23 internationally recognized sites in the state that have gone above and beyond in the...
Vulcan Materials’ Hill Country quarry gets key permit despite locals’ concerns
A Texas Hill Country quarry recently hit a major milestone years in the making. Despite hundreds of residents trying to halt the controversial project, it now appears to be moving forward outside New Braunfels in Comal County. Read more from Gabriel Romero with Laredo...
Old pipes cause Texas cities to lose tens of billions of gallons of water each year
Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water loss audits. The documents...
Burnet groundwater district could seek priority status, more protections
County Commissioner Damon Beierle and Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District General Manager Mitchell Sodek were among 50 regional officials at a Hill Country Alliance summit on how natural resources can be better managed and preserved. Beierle said the June...
What’s the value of planting trees? Conservation groups say a new formula can tell them.
“We're gonna pull the heartstrings, because it does make you feel good, we're doing good things,” Carswell said. “But we also want to show the true value of the work that we're doing and show that we'll be smart about investing in our future.” The report found that...
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