Comal County Conservation Alliance
Comal County has many unique features that make it a particularly special and sensitive place, from the headwaters springs of the Comal River and the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, to the endemic and endangered species found in our rural lands, to the tourism and recreation opportunities offered by Canyon Lake and the Blanco and Guadalupe Rivers.
“Comal County has been among the top ten fastest-growing counties in the country for the past four years running,” noted Katherine Romans, Executive Director of the Hill Country Alliance. “Until we see investment in conservation happening in a more strategic way, we will continue to lose land to development much faster than we protect it.”
The Comal County Conservation Alliance was created with the mission to advocate for land, water, and wildlife in the area. See their list of goals here. The CCCA is a domestic non-profit organization certified by the Texas Secretary of State, May 8, 2018 and was granted 501(c)(3) status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on July 13, 2018.
The CCCA hosts community meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. The public is welcome to learn more about the Hill Country environment and local conservation efforts. Visit the Comal County Conservation Alliance upcoming events page for details on the next meeting. You can also visit the past events page to download previous meeting minutes and see photos.
In addition to support for other organizations, the CCCA is developing educational outreach programs and encouraging “smart development” that will maintain the natural resources and rural beauty that are the essence of Comal County’s desirability. A key focal point is: conserve while we can for future generations.
On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 GEAA, the Hill Country Alliance, and the League of Women Voters of Comal presented a forum on Land Conservation Options for Comal County. The meeting was a follow-up to the “Planning for Growth in Comal County” conference held in February 2017, in response to attendees’ request for more information about how to preserve open space and unique areas in Comal County as development continues at a rapid pace.
To see the full agenda, click here. To see Panelists bio’s, click here.
Conference Presentations
League of Women Voters of the Comal Area
Jensie Madden is the Chair of the Land Use Committee of the League of Women Voters of Comal Area. LWV-CA recently published Facts & Issues: Land Use Planning in Comal County, Impacts of Growth; Time for Action, which will be basis of her presentation. She and her husband retired to Comal County in 2001 and since that time has volunteered with LWV-CA to promote citizen involvement in governmental decision-making.
Comal County Engineer
Tom is a Graduate of the University of Minnesota, BS Civil Engineering, and a Texas Registered Professional Engineer. In1992, he became Comal County Engineer, where his responsibilities include operation of the County Road Department; administration of Subdivision, Floodplain, Addressing, and Sewage Facility regulations; management of the Parks Department and Rural Recycling; and large construction projects. Tom was recently named County Engineer of the Year during the Texas Association of County Engineers and Road Administrators’ annual conference in Austin.
Attorney
Julie Koppenheffer has had long experience in the field of real estate as an attorney practicing in the field of commercial real estate and commercial real estate finance. She worked as Executive Director of Green Spaces Alliance (2005 through 2009), concentrating on aquifer protection and enhancing our connection to the environment through community gardens, photography, and public engagement. As a citizen, she advocates for protecting irreplaceable resources.
Director, San Marcos River Foundation
Dianne grew up on the Gulf Coast, graduating from University of Houston. Working in the Frank Church Wilderness of No Return on Idaho’s Middlefork of the Salmon River in the 70’s, she learned how important it is to preserve natural areas. After moving to San Marcos in 1980, she has worked with the San Marcos River Foundation since its beginning in 1985.
In decades of work for SMRF, Dianne has served on many regional, statewide, and local stakeholder groups. Currently she represents the public in a seat on Region L Water Planning Group, is Vice-chair of the Bay Basin Stakeholder for the Guadalupe basin, and is also on the Steering Committees of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan, Upper San Marcos Watershed Initiative, and Plum Creek Watershed Program. She has participated in San Marcos’ master plan and numerous other river-related committees locally.
Executive Director, Hill Country Alliance
Katherine holds a Master in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She worked for several years as a legislative aide for the Committee on Natural Resources within the US House of Representatives, and led the HCA’s landowner outreach program for more than 2 years. In that role, she connected landowners within the Pedernales River Basin to technical and financial resources within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She also serves on the board of the Hill Country Land Trust.
Follow-up Meeting Notes
Resources
News
- Lende Lecture Series “Preservation of Rural Heritage and Ranchland Issues” April 11, 2018
- City of New Braunfels Parkland Dedication-ordinance-summary
- Conservationists: Preserve Open Spaces
- Land Conservation Seminar Explores Options
- San Marcos City Council Votes To Enter Lease-Purchase Agreement
- Whither the Warbler’s Habitat?
- Sentinel Peak Preserve
- Council listens to ideas for parks
- Community Impact Newspaper, “Area groups, citizens have conservation conversations” – January 20, 2018
