Hill Country Conservancy Inc

PRESERVE NATURAL AREAS, RIVERS AND STREAMS, AND FARMS AND RANCHES IN THE HILL COUNTRY.

LAND TRANSACTIONS - HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY'S LAND TRANSACTIONS WORK INVOLVES NEGOTIATING AND EXECUTING CONSERVATION EASEMENT DEEDS WITH LANDOWNERS TO EFFECT CONSERVATION OF LAND, WATER, WILDLIFE HABITAT, RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES, SCENIC VISTAS, AND SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES IN PERPETUITY.

HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY (HCC) PROVIDES AND PROMOTES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN COUNTIES AND METROPOLITAN AREAS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND PARTICULARLY THROUGHOUT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER REGION AND TEXAS HILL COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE CITIES OF AUSTIN, SAN MARCOS, BOERNE, BLANCO, LLANO, FREDERICKSBURG AND SAN ANTONIO, AND THE COUNTIES OF BANDERA, BEXAR, BLANCO, GILLESPIE, HAYS, FRIO, KENDALL, KERR, LLANO, MASON, MEDINA, TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON. HCC WORKS TO CONSERVE THE WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THE HILL COUNTRY RIVERS AND STREAMS AND PRESERVE THE WORKING FARMS AND RANCHES. THIS CONSERVATION WORK HAS A DIRECT AND POSITIVE IMPACT ON ALL CITIZENS WHO DEPEND ON THE EDWARDS AQUIFER FOR THEIR DRINKING WATER AND ON THESE FARMS AND RANCHES FOR THEIR FOOD SOURCE. HCC STAFF HELPS PLAN AND IMPLEMENT STATEWIDE LAND TRUST CONFERENCES THAT EDUCATE LAND OWNERS AND OTHER CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE HILL COUNTRY/EDWARDS AQUIFER REGION. PARTICIPANTS AT THESE CONFERENCES ALSO INCLUDE LANDOWNERS, LAND TRUST MANAGERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM DALLAS, HOUSTON, LUBBOCK, TYLER AND SAN ANTONIO. HCC HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON CREATING A REGIONAL 100-MILE TRAIL SYSTEM TO PROVIDE HEALTHY RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TEXAS, HELPING TO ENSURE BETTER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS NATURAL TRAIL CORRIDOR ALSO HELPS ENSURE CLEAN AIR, WATER AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. HCC IS ACTIVELY COLLABORATING WITH DECISION-MAKERS, OTHER LAND TRUSTS AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS STATEWIDE TO CREATE THE TEXAS FARM AND RANCH LANDS CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH WILL CREATE STANDARDS FOR AND INCENTIVIZE PRIVATE LANDS PRESERVATION AGREEMENTS. HCC SERVES ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL OF THE TEXAS COALITION FOR CONSERVATION, WHICH EDUCATES DECISION-MAKERS STATEWIDE REGARDING THE BENEFITS OF PRESERVING TEXAS'S NATURALECOLOGY AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES.HCC IS A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS LAND TRUST COUNCIL, SERVING CITIZENS ACROSS THE STATE. HCC CONDUCTS REGULAR TOURS FOR SCOUTS AND OTHER YOUTH GROUPS ON ITS OPEN SPACE LANDS AND TEACHES THESE YOUNG CITIZENS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR HABITAT RESTORATION. HCC IMPLEMENTS COMPREHENSIVE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROGRAMS ON ITS OWN AND IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH LANDOWNERS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES TO ENSURE CLEAN WATER AND BETTER AIR QUALITY ACROSS THE AQUIFER REGION.

VIOLET CROWN TRAIL - THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL BEGAN AS A VISION IN 1999 TO CREATE THE FIRST REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM IN CENTRAL TEXAS. AFTER OVER 15 YEARS OF STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION AND PLANNING, THE FIRST SIX-MILE SEGMENT IS NOW OPEN AND THE VCT IS ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING THE LONGEST TRAIL OF ITS KIND IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION - HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN ITS MISSION. PROGRAMS INCLUDE EMERGING PROFESSIONALS IN CONSERVATION, TWO CITY-WIDE VOLUNTEER DAYS, AND MULTIPLE FUNDRAISING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY ALSO WORKS WITH STATE AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SOURCE PUBLIC MONEY FOR CONSERVATION FUNDING.