Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative

Hill Country Conservancy is currently accepting pre-applications for financing of stewardship projects through the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative.

Please note: To be eligible, your land must be within one of the watersheds on the map above.

The deadline for pre-applications has been extended until April 17, 2023.

Fill out the Pre-Application >

Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative

Stewardship funding for landowners, ranchers, farmers, and wildlife managers

Hill Country Conservancy and its partners are offering conservation-minded landowners land stewardship financial assistance as part of the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative (HCHCI). The HCHCI provides financial assistance for landowners seeking to undertake projects that enhance soil cover, biodiversity, and water quality on their land. Qualifying projects will receive technical support from HCHCI partners in planning their project and reimbursement for a portion of their costs.

Supported practices include:

Enhancing riparian buffers
Managing livestock impacts to water bodies and providing alterative water sources
Planned grazing and grazing deferments to promote enhanced forage quality, soil cover, and wildlife habitat
Fencing improvements to promote wildlife passage and grazing management
Range planting (seeding of native grasses and forbs)
Improving pollinator and monarch habitat
Brush management (emphasizing removal of regrowth on deep soils in flat areas)
Instream habitat enhancement
Irrigation efficiency improvements

Projects that demonstrate learning from past successes and failures will be prioritized.

Hill Country Conservancy is now accepting pre-applications for funding. To be considered for financial assistance, landowners must take this first step in the application process by completing the pre-application form.

To receive alerts regarding informational workshops, click here.

IMPORTANT: After completing this form, please contact Frank Davis at frank@hillcountryconservancy.org as soon as possible for guidance on timely next steps.

Note: While completing the form, if you need to modify your previous response(s), be sure to use the “back” button at the bottom of the form. If you use the back (left arrow) button in your browser window, all previous responses will be deleted.

About the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative Program

In 2018, Hill Country Conservancy, and 18 partner organizations, including the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network, banded together to create the Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative (HCHCI). The HCHCI is focused on enhancing and protecting natural resources through partnerships with dedicated conservation-minded landowners. The initiative is financed through a $5.15 million award from the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as part of their Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This award is being distributed to landowners who wish to carry out conservation practices to enhance water resources, soil health, wildlife habitat and long-term productivity.

A portion of this award will be directed toward key land stewardship projects that meet the following criteria:

The project falls within the Onion Creek, Barton Creek, Pedernales River, Blanco, Upper San Marcos, and Llano River basins, as shown on this map, and
The project aims to enhance or protect soil, water, and wildlife habitat, with long-term effects.

For Landowner success stories click here.

Zesch Ranch Grassland and Habitat Health Stewardship Project

Fill out the Pre-Application >

Additional resources and stewardship materials:

Read "The Great Grassland Myth of Texas Hill Country" by Steve Nelle.
Read "Brush Management Guidelines and Considerations" by Steve Nelle.
Read "How To Sow Your Seed" by Frank Davis.
Read "Cows and Creeks Grazing Management in Riparian Areas" by Steve Nelle.
Read "Getting Started in Stewardship" an article by Steve Nelle featured in Texas Wildlife Magazine.
Read "Wanted Dead and Alive: Mountain Cedars" by Elizabeth McGreevy

To receive alerts regarding informational workshops, click here.

In 2017, a coalition of organizations and agencies came together to form the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network (THCCN/The Network) to advance shared goals of conservation and sustainable growth in the Texas Hill Country. Working across a 17-county region of Central Texas, the Network aims to significantly scale the impact of conservation-focused organizations, universities, agencies, businesses and individuals working to protect natural resources, rural heritage and quality of life of this region.
Learn More about THCCN

A recent report published by THCCN defines and calculates eight metrics for tracking trends related to changes in the natural resources of the Texas Hill Country. Dozens of organizations — nonprofits, government agencies, academic institutions and aligned private businesses — endeavor to protect the land, water and sky of this unique region. The metrics defined here will support these entities as they work individually and collectively through The Network to both tell the story of the need for conservation and preserve the natural resources and heritage of the Texas Hill Country.

“This report makes it perfectly clear—the Hill Country’s breathtaking vistas, natural spaces, clear waters, abundant wildlife, starry night skies, and small-town charms must not be taken for granted,” warns Katherine Romans, Hill Country Alliance Executive Director and Chair for the THCCN.

Read the full State of the Hill Country Report here

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) offers new opportunities for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), conservation partners, and agricultural producers to work together to harness innovation, expand the conservation mission, and demonstrate the value and efficacy of voluntary, private lands conservation. RCPP brings together a wide array of local and national partners, including Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, private industry, conservation districts, water districts, universities, and many others. So far, more than 2,000 partners are engaged in locally-led conservation efforts through RCPP.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a program of the United States Department of Agriculture, helps America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners conserve the nation’s soil, water, air, and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment. NRCS draws on a long history of helping people help the land. For more than 80 years, NRCS and its predecessor agencies have worked in close partnerships with farmers and ranchers, local and state governments, and other federal agencies to maintain healthy and productive working landscapes.