Editor’s Note: Preserved Paradise

Editor’s Note: Preserved Paradise

I’ve lived in the Hill Country for five years now, yet I’m still finding new reasons to admire its grandeur on a regular basis. I love that my kids get to grow up in such a beautiful, wild landscape, and I hope their kids will have the same opportunity. As Central...
TESPA initiates legal action to protect water & endangered species

TESPA initiates legal action to protect water & endangered species

The Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) has sent the attached Notice of Intent (NOI) to sue Far South Mining LLC to stop the proposed quarry and rock crushing plant on the Needmore Ranch between Wimberley and San Marcos in Hays County, TX. The legal...
Unique and creative approaches for conservation

Unique and creative approaches for conservation

Editorial by Commissioner Lon Shell, Hays County As our population surges, will the Hill Country retain its character? I believe it can, however it is a challenge that will require unique and creative approaches to balance that growth with preservation of the very...
Texas cities are booming. I feel it in the country.

Texas cities are booming. I feel it in the country.

About a year ago, I was kayaking down the Llano River, about 80 miles west of Austin, Texas. It’s spring-fed and runs through the countryside, representative of the state’s beauty. I was paddling a usually serene route when I noticed the water becoming shallow and the...
Seizing the moment for rural water infrastructure

Seizing the moment for rural water infrastructure

In February, 2021, Winter Storm Uri shined a light on the fragility of our state’s infrastructure as an energy crisis quickly evolved into a water crisis. However, even before Texas was plunged into the ice, our state’s water infrastructure systems received a C- for...