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July 16, 2014
Hill Country News
HCA's Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop Returns October 14-17 in San Antonio
Do you want to create meaningful experiences that last a lifetime? HCA is offering an Interpretive Guide Training workshop that will help you connect the minds and hearts of your audience to the beauty of nature and the mysteries of history. Register now, class size limited. Details
Proposed Truck Stop along the Llano River draws concerns
Hill Country conservationists, including HCA, have expressed concerns over a proposed Pilot Flying J truck stop to be constructed close to the North Llano River in Junction. “South Llano Watershed Alliance (SLWA) is a non-profit organization of landowners and interested stakeholders whose mission is to preserve and enhance the South Llano River and adjoining watersheds by encouraging land and water stewardship through collaboration, education, and community participation. Since our inception in 2009, SLWA has partnered with other local, state, and federal agencies and organizations to develop and participate in programs that to date have brought in nearly $3 million in research and restoration efforts in the local community.” Read the SLWA letter of concern urging for more time for due diligence.
AgriLife Extension sets Living Waters Conference for August 19 in Junction
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the Living Waters Conference beginning at 8 am, August 19 at the Texas Tech Junction Center, 254 Red Raider Lane in Junction. “This is a well-rounded program that centers on topics relating to watersheds, riparian areas and best management practices for managing cattle, horses and feral hogs along these fragile environmental areas.” Details
Plans for Texas 45 Southwest bring quest to document historical sites
"Environmentalists eye the proposed road’s path over the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Fans of the tollway note how it would provide an alternative to congested roadways. History enthusiasts, though, see what’s not on the map. They see land that the Spanish first traveled in the late 1600s, that stagecoaches traversed beginning in the mid-1800s, and they worry that the proposed tollway — and the additional development it would likely bring — would erase that rich past. That little-heard concern about growth has prompted the Travis County Historical Commission to begin a survey of properties in Southwest Travis County.” Read more from Andra Lim at Statesman.com here.
How to Inspire Millions More Americans to Ride Bicycles
“Over the past five years we’re seeing an infrastructure revolution, a rethinking of our streets to accommodate more users — busways, public plazas, space for pedestrians and, of course, bike lanes,” said David Vega-Barachowitz of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. “More protected bike lanes is one of the most important parts of this.” Read the full story from the Rivard Report here.
LCRA and PEC Award $25,000 to Old Blanco County Courthouse for Masonry Repair
The Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society will be able to repair masonry and stone on the building’s exterior, thanks to a $25,000 community development grant. The Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative provided the grant to repair and replace mortar and stone in critical areas of the old courthouse on Blanco’s downtown square. Details
Water Planners Focus on Bigger Texas, Not a Hotter One
After Texans overwhelmingly approved spending $2 billion in public funds on new water infrastructure projects last November, Republicans and Democrats alike hailed the state’s ability to solve its water woes in the wake of explosive growth and debilitating drought. But as state water planners prepare to spend that money and address Texas’ water needs in the coming decades, they are only planning for a bigger Texas — not a hotter one. More from the Texas Tribune.
Travis County attempts to guide surging growth in unincorporated areas
"One difficulty is that the county has little say in what ultimately gets built on unincorporated land." This issue is felt in Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Hays, Burnet, Bandera and all of the rapidly expanding counties throughout the Hill Country. Read the full story in the Austin American Statesman. Learn more about the County Authority issue here.
Hill Country conservationists, including HCA, have expressed concerns over a proposed Pilot Flying J truck stop to be constructed close to the North Llano River in Junction. “South Llano Watershed Alliance (SLWA) is a non-profit organization of landowners and interested stakeholders whose mission is to preserve and enhance the South Llano River and adjoining watersheds by encouraging land and water stewardship through collaboration, education, and community participation. Since our inception in 2009, SLWA has partnered with other local, state, and federal agencies and organizations to develop and participate in programs that to date have brought in nearly $3 million in research and restoration efforts in the local community.” Read the SLWA letter of concern urging for more time for due diligence.
AgriLife Extension sets Living Waters Conference for August 19 in Junction
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the Living Waters Conference beginning at 8 am, August 19 at the Texas Tech Junction Center, 254 Red Raider Lane in Junction. “This is a well-rounded program that centers on topics relating to watersheds, riparian areas and best management practices for managing cattle, horses and feral hogs along these fragile environmental areas.” Details
Plans for Texas 45 Southwest bring quest to document historical sites
"Environmentalists eye the proposed road’s path over the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Fans of the tollway note how it would provide an alternative to congested roadways. History enthusiasts, though, see what’s not on the map. They see land that the Spanish first traveled in the late 1600s, that stagecoaches traversed beginning in the mid-1800s, and they worry that the proposed tollway — and the additional development it would likely bring — would erase that rich past. That little-heard concern about growth has prompted the Travis County Historical Commission to begin a survey of properties in Southwest Travis County.” Read more from Andra Lim at Statesman.com here.
How to Inspire Millions More Americans to Ride Bicycles
“Over the past five years we’re seeing an infrastructure revolution, a rethinking of our streets to accommodate more users — busways, public plazas, space for pedestrians and, of course, bike lanes,” said David Vega-Barachowitz of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. “More protected bike lanes is one of the most important parts of this.” Read the full story from the Rivard Report here.
LCRA and PEC Award $25,000 to Old Blanco County Courthouse for Masonry Repair
The Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society will be able to repair masonry and stone on the building’s exterior, thanks to a $25,000 community development grant. The Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative provided the grant to repair and replace mortar and stone in critical areas of the old courthouse on Blanco’s downtown square. Details
Water Planners Focus on Bigger Texas, Not a Hotter One
After Texans overwhelmingly approved spending $2 billion in public funds on new water infrastructure projects last November, Republicans and Democrats alike hailed the state’s ability to solve its water woes in the wake of explosive growth and debilitating drought. But as state water planners prepare to spend that money and address Texas’ water needs in the coming decades, they are only planning for a bigger Texas — not a hotter one. More from the Texas Tribune.
Travis County attempts to guide surging growth in unincorporated areas
"One difficulty is that the county has little say in what ultimately gets built on unincorporated land." This issue is felt in Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Hays, Burnet, Bandera and all of the rapidly expanding counties throughout the Hill Country. Read the full story in the Austin American Statesman. Learn more about the County Authority issue here.
Texas Tribune Q&A with Karen Ford“There are two schools of thought. One is we are not going to build our way out of this, and I’ve heard other people say we’re not going to conserve our way out of this. I have to take issue. I think we really are going to have to adopt as a citizenry a new water ethic in the way we think about and use water. And the way we look at our landscapes. And the way we value our large landscapes and understanding the role that they play in our water supply.” Read More
Upcoming Events
July
July 17 in Dripping Springs - Texas Watershed Steward Workshop - Presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Details
July 19 in Kerrville - Water Conservation: Best Practices at the Riverside Nature Center - Details
July 17 in Dripping Springs - Texas Watershed Steward Workshop - Presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Details
July 19 in Kerrville - Water Conservation: Best Practices at the Riverside Nature Center - Details
July 23 in Spring Branch - Comal County Land & Water Expo - Hosted by the Central Texas Conservation Partnership - Details
August
August 15 in Dripping Springs - Better Lights for Better Nights - Details
August 19 in Junction - Texas Living Waters Conference - Details
August 15 in Dripping Springs - Better Lights for Better Nights - Details
August 19 in Junction - Texas Living Waters Conference - Details
August
26 in Austin - Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council & Lone Star
Rail District Discussion on the Future of Transportation &
Reception with State Representative Larry Phillips - Details
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