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Workshop shows how to tame rural land taxes
Texas
Urban absentee landowners can learn how to better manage wildlife and keep their property taxes tame at an upcoming wildlife management workshop.
Set the evenings of Sept. 7-8, the program has been custom designed for Dallas area residents, said Fred Burrell, Texas Cooperative Extension agent in Dallas County.
"We have thousands of absentee landowners, representing millions of acres of rural land, who live and work in Dallas through the week, but retreat to farms and ranches for the weekends," Burrell said.
The rural retreats offer privacy and the pleasure of being close to nature, but there's a lot more to managing land for wildlife than city dwellers might think, Burrell said.
And then there's the taxes. Land appraised as agricultural land will have substantially reduced property taxes. The idea, Burrell said, is that taxes on agricultural land should be based on the income the property may generate. Texas law permits lower tax valuations on land used for agricultural purposes.
"Agricultural use" means the raising of livestock or growing of crops in a business setting that "is the primary occupation and source of income of the owner," the Texas Constitution, Article 8, Section 1-d, reads.
"But not everyone can raise cattle or grow crops," Burrell noted.
In 1996, the Texas legislature amended the constitution, this time allowing for "wildlife valuation." The amendment allows property owners who meet certain criteria in regards to wildlife to qualify for the same tax valuation as land used for agriculture.
Qualifying for a wildlife valuation is no walk in the park, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist, and project leader for the workshops.
First of all, the land must currently qualify as agricultural use valuation.
"There's no starting from scratch where the wildlife valuation is concerned," Higginbotham said.
To change from agricultural valuation to wildlife valuation, landowners must implement and complete at least one management practice from three of seven management categories. Though most landowners can meet the requirement, they must develop a written wildlife management plan which lists their intended practices in detail.
One of the many things participants will learn at the workshop is how to develop such a plan, Higginbotham said.
Other presentations on the program will focus on managing wildlife and rural land.
The workshop will start each evening at 5 p.m. at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center at 17360 Coit Road in Dallas.
The first evening's programming will include separate presentations on managing for quail, waterfowl, dove and feral hog management. Understanding and planning for the wildlife tax valuation will also be included.
The second evening's programming will include presentations on managing for large- mouth bass and white-tailed deer. Other speakers will go into detail on growing supplemental forage for deer and using remote sensing cameras for taking a deer census.
Private pesticide applicator's license holders can earn two continuing education units toward renewal.
Pre-registration by Aug. 31 is $50. Registration after the deadline and at the door will be $75 per person. The fee includes break refreshments and a workshop handbook.
Registration can be paid on-line by credit card at http://www.peopleware.net/1542 .
Alternately, registration checks may be mailed to Jacque Hand, Conference Registration, Drawer H-1, College Station, TX 77844. Make the check payable to "Wildlife Management Workshop." Include the attendee's name, address and phone number and specify that the registration fee is for the "Wildlife Management Workshop for Absentee Landowners at Dallas."
For more information contact Burrell at 214-904-3050. Directions to the Dallas center can be found on the Internet at http://dallas.tamu.edu/maps/ .
Date: 8/26/04
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