Conserving Land in the Hill Country

Hill Country Conservancy

“Conserving land in the Hill Country is not a simple feat – it requires long-term involvement from many individuals and organizations who want to see these lands preserved as open space in perpetuity. Through their ongoing partnership with HCC and their donation program, Native has proven their commitment to the community and to protecting water, wildlife habitat and the natural beauty and heritage of central Texas area. We are fortunate to have them as a partner.”
– George Cofer

At NATiVE Solar, our mission is to lead the way to a sustainable future. We are building green homes to last generations, and we want our environment to last at least that long. We’re acutely aware of the rapid growth and diminishing resources in the Hill Country. Preserving natural lands and the rural heritage is an incumbent responsibility of all of us that directly affect it. For each home that we build, NATiVE makes a donation to the Hill Country Conservancy and purchases a HCC membership for the homeowner. This partnership is incredibly valuable to NATiVE as we not only create beautiful, energy efficient homes but we are stewards of our surrounding environment. Thank you Hill Country Conservancy for all the hard work you do, we are HERE FOREVER with you.

Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) marshals public and private resources to preserve the natural areas and scenic vistas, aquifers and springs, rivers and streams, working farms and ranches, and the rural heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country for people to enjoy and cherish for generations to come. They believe that the region’s prosperity is inextricably tied to its natural landscape and quality of life. People – and companies – move here, and want to stay here, because it’s a wonderful, beautiful place to be.

But growth has consequences. The more land that gets developed, the less rainwater makes it back into the aquifers and springs; the greater the risk of fragmenting the contiguous habitat native wildlife need to survive; the scarcer the wild, open spaces that make the Hill Country such a special and unique place to live. The future economic success of Central Texas and the Hill Country is tied to how well we balance our growth and the preservation of these precious natural resources.

Hill Country Conservancy has had great conservation success since its inception in 1999. Working collaboratively with its partners, HCC has helped conserve over 44,000 acres in the Texas Hill Country. Altogether the conservation easements that HCC holds as well as the Nalle Bunny Run Nature Preserve are valued at over $83 million, a striking amount of conservation accomplished by leveraging a fraction of that amount in funding from grants and municipal and county bonds, together with donations from individual supporters and green-minded organizations such as Native.

To expand their impact and effectiveness, HCC has officially announced that it has expanded its focus area to include six counties within the greater Texas Hill Country region. To date, HCC’s focus area covered the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, generally contained within Travis and Hays Counties. The newly expanded area includes Travis, Hays, Llano, Blanco, Burnet and San Saba counties, an area selected in order to ensure an even greater conservation impact in future years.

In addition to its core mission work, Hill Country Conservancy has been working to create the first regional trail system in Central Texas, the Violet Crown Trail. 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. The Violet Crown Trail represents the greater vision of Hill Country Conservancy’s work to get people out on the land. Users will have the opportunity to experience conservation lands like never before – surrounded by wildlife, clean streams, and the breathtaking views of land preserved by HCC and its partners.

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