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
Volunteers remove over 1,300 pounds of trash from Concan
The second-annual “Frio River Trash Bash” hosted by the Texas Hill Country River Region on Sept. 14 raised $9,180 for local non-profits, more than doubling the $3,825 raised during the first event in 2023. THCRR director Hailey Hart Conrad said 204 volunteers spent...
“Cultivating a Community of Stewardship” theme of recent HCA Leadership Summit
Written by Michael Hawkins, The Comfort News - republished with permission. The Summit has become a must-attend event for Deborah and I because of its unwavering focus on what people and organizations are getting right in the work they’re doing to preserve the Texas...
The Hill Country is celebrating the stars and night sky throughout October
The fifth annual Hill Country Night Sky Month is here. The October celebration affords people the chance to enjoy one of the region’s most beloved features, the star-filled sky. The Hill Country Alliance (HCA) and dozens of partners make this a community-wide event....
Burnet County seeks law change for more power over subdivisions
The Burnet County Commissioners Court joined the Hill Country Alliance in condemning a 2023 state measure that allows developers to build subdivisions with questionable infrastructure and water access in rural counties. The court voted unanimously at its regular...
Shortlist for where the Texas Water Fund’s $1 billion could go first
Voters went to the polls last November and overwhelmingly supported creation of the Texas Water Fund, a pot of money totaling $1 billion meant for water infrastructure improvements across the state. In the months since then, the state’s water agency has worked to...
Stewardship: Armbrusts build a connection to the land
Restoring land in the Hill Country is no easy task. In many places, there’s a scarcity of topsoil and an excess of native and exotic, non-native deer species impacting the vegetation. There are also the feral hogs, searing droughts, destructive floods, and the...