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
Comal County seeks grants for conservation purchases
Preserving Comal County’s wide-open spaces hasn’t been at the top of the county’s to-do list, but commissioners took steps in that direction last week. Last Thursday, they selected Moriarty & Associates LLC to pursue funding for county land acquisitions for...
40 million people rely on the Colorado River. It’s drying up fast.
On a 110-degree day several years ago, surrounded by piles of sand and rock in the desert outside Las Vegas, I stepped into a yellow cage large enough to fit three standing adults and was lowered 600 feet through a black hole into the ground. There, at the bottom,...
Texas Water Utilities provide a snapshot of financial conditions and prospects for addressing Texas water infrastructure needs in 2021 and 2022
Recently, Water Opinions LLC teamed up with the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN) for the second annual assessment of current and future Texas water infrastructure projects, financing, and other issues facing Texas water utilities. TXWIN distributed the...
Deal to preserve Honey Creek moves forward with Texas Parks and Wildlife approval
A land deal that could forever preserve a pristine Hill Country stream north of San Antonio moved forward with approval from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department commissioners. Commissioners on Thursday unanimously voted in favor of a land deal involving the...
Family’s ranching heritage at stake in inheritance tax battle
At 84 years old, Melville Steubing has been involved in ranching since he could walk. And his family’s ranching heritage runs even deeper. From the first year his German immigrant ancestors set foot on Texas ground in the 1840s until today, there has never been a time...
Droughts push more people to migrate than floods
After a year of extreme weather, people in the drylands of northern California and the hurricane-drenched bayous of southern Louisiana are brooding on the same question: should we leave? New global research suggests that one of these “water shock” scenarios is more...