Monarch butterfly gets protection in ‘historic’ deal
The Fish and Wildlife Service today unveiled a sweeping, multistate plan to protect the monarch butterfly without adding it to the Endangered Species Act list. A long time in the making, the plan called, in part, a “candidate conservation” agreement unites state and federal officials with energy and transportation industry leaders on a common cause. “Completing this agreement is... Read more
TESPA issues notice of intent to sue Permian Highway Pipeline for contamination of an underground source of drinking water
Press Release: Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association & Wimberley Valley Watershed Association – For Immediate Release: April 8, 2020 Attorneys acting on behalf of the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) today issued a notice of intent to sue the Permian Highway Pipeline LLC (PHP) and its managing partner, Kinder Morgan, for contamination of an underground source of... Read more
Texas State Parks temporarily close to the public
Press Release: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – For Immediate Release: April 7, 2020 At the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas State Parks will be closed to the public effective at the close of business Tuesday, April 7 in order to maintain the safest environment for visitors, volunteers and staff. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)... Read more
Inside the story of how HEB planned for the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has transformed the country in just a handful of weeks. As Americans focus on the essentials—feeding our families and ensuring we have the necessary supplies to keep our households clean and safe—grocery stores and pharmacies have demonstrated just how crucial they are to a functioning society. We’ve seen chains struggle with the challenges the current... Read more
TCEQ loosens enforcement amid COVID-19
While environmental regulations are not being set aside, the chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said Monday that enforcing those rules may be eased for violations “that were unavoidable due to the (coronavirus) pandemic.” The agency has “not relaxed any limits on air emissions or discharges to water,” Chairman Jon Niermann wrote in an open letter... Read more
Texas food banks asking for help to support surge of people in need
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, food banks across the country are tasked with serving those in need from every socioeconomic level. Many people are using food bank services for the first time. Food banks in Texas are doing their part, but they face many challenges. Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank, says the... Read more
The pandemic is turning the natural world upside down
From inside her living room in London, Paula Koelemeijer can feel the world around her growing quieter. Koelemeijer, a seismologist, has a miniature seismometer sitting on a concrete slab at the base of her first-floor fireplace. The apparatus, though smaller than a box of tissues, can sense all kinds of movement, from the rattle of trains on the... Read more
The Trailist guide to getting outside during the pandemic
For obvious reasons, this can’t be a normal Trailist column. I’m sitting here in my apartment, listening to the rain pour down for the third straight day, trying to think of ways to recommend getting outdoors during these tough and ever-changing times. Here’s the paradox: We all have to go outside, for our own physical and mental health. We can’t... Read more
“The mission of the Hill Country Alliance is to bring together an ever-expanding alliance of groups throughout a multi-county region of Central Texas with the long-term objective of preserving open spaces, water supply, water quality and the unique character of the Texas Hill Country.” Learn More About HCA
The 2020 Calendar is now available!
Order online
Hill Country Living FESTIVAL + Rainwater Revival
State Water Plan:
TWDB Director’s presentation on the 2017 State Water Plan
SAWS Vista Ridge Pipeline:
After the Storm:
Letting the River Heal
