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
We helped design ERCOT, here’s how to prevent another major Texas electricity failure
The Arctic weather system that hit the South Central United States in February 2021 led to the deaths of almost 200 Texans (many more by some estimates), extended power outages for two-thirds of Texas residents, residents, and caused more than $100 billion in damages...
Drought, the everything disaster
It develops in stages, a story that builds upon itself. A few cloudless days. Then a rain-free week. Soon a hot, dry month. Now the hills are brown and the crops need watering — the first signs of drought. The intensely dry conditions that have settled over the...
Bipartisan wildlife proposal would enhance fish and wildlife, add jobs, and grow businesses in Texas
During the pandemic, Texans headed back to nature in record numbers, with more people visiting state parks, hunting, fishing, and boating than ever before. A new congressional proposal aims to tap that exploding interest by investing more than $50 million per year in...
Economic Benefits Report from Great Springs Project
With the expert guidance of Alta Planning + Design and National Park Service, Great Springs Project is proud to present the Economic Benefits Report for the trail from the Alamo to the Capitol to quantify the financial return from the 100+-mile trail network and...
Wildlife disease threatens deer, elk – and maybe humans, new research says
The continuing spread of a fatal wildlife disease in Alberta and Saskatchewan has a federal agency recommending a deer cull across a wide swath of the Prairies. And soon-to-be-published research on chronic wasting disease has raised new fears about whether the illness...
A drought so dire that a Utah town pulled the plug on growth
The mountain spring that pioneers used to water their hayfields and that filled people’s taps flowed reliably into the old cowboy town of Oakley for decades. So when it dwindled to a trickle in this year’s scorching drought, officials took drastic action to preserve...