Our Mission statement

Hill Country Conservancy preserves vital natural resources through conservation, community collaboration and engagement to sustain our region now and forever.

What we do

Protect

Protect large strategic tracts of open space that conserve critical water features and wildlife habitat

Provide

Provide much-needed recreational access to nature via the Violet Crown Trail

Promote

Promote a conservation ethic by cultivating awareness and transforming our community.

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OUR TEAM

OUR VISION

VAST OPEN SPACES

Our strategic vision is to create Vast Open Spaces. This plan leverages the open space already acquired in the Hill Country and adds to it adjacent or nearby land so the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

Eventually, we hope to have an open space “network” of more than 50,000 acres that will preserve the clean water, wildlife, rural character and scenic vistas that are currently threatened.

Why this work matters

We are fortunate to live in the alluring Texas Hill Country, and we believe that the region’s prosperity is inextricably linked to its natural landscape and quality of life. The beauty and unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities are compelling reasons for people to move here and to want to stay.

Hill Country Conservancy works closely with developers and city planners to promote smart growth in our region. As the Hill Country population explodes, it is critical to balance growth with the preservation of our precious natural resources. The consequences of unbridled sprawl are irrevocable: If rainwater can't find its way into the aquifers and springs, it endangers our vital drinking water. Land fragmentation imperils the contiguous habitat that our iconic Texas wildlife needs to survive. Unchecked expansion can also limit our access to the outdoor recreation so important to our health and well being.

Now, it is more crucial than ever to protect our drinking water, our endless views, our iconic Texas wildlife and our vast open spaces. With your help, Hill Country Conservancy protects these elements that make the Hill Country such a special and unique place to live.

Our area of impact.

For decades, the 250,000 acres overlying the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer had been the prize in a war waged between the area’s business and environmental interests. Finally, after years of discord, leaders from the two sides agreed to a series of meetings. During six months of hard negotiations and looking one another in the eye, the suspicions and doubts on both sides slowly turned into mutual trust.

The parties realized they were fighting for the same thing: to preserve a quality of life unmatched anywhere in the nation. Everyone agreed the solution was the creation of a visionary land trust, and in a matter of days, Hill Country Conservancy was incorporated. Hill Country Conservancy’s board of directors is a coalition of leaders from the business and environmental communities, who are turning the lessons they learned in those “peace talks” into answers for the future. We are committed to fashioning unique, farsighted solutions to protect our land and our economy.

Through the Hill County Conservancy’s vision to inspire a conservation ethic by cultivating awareness and transforming our community, HCC is ever mindful that diversity is essential to the success of our planet and integral to our success in conserving our natural landscapes and quality of life. HCC is committed to inclusion, equity, diversity and access in the make-up and operation of our organization, the representation of our Board, the access to our assets and programs, and the pursuit of our mission, to ensure fair and equal access and involvement in conservation for all.