Table of Contents: Texas lands are steadily being chopped up The natural ecosystem is being disturbed How can the small landowner help? Can we still enjoy the land and help the native ecosystem? Looki...
Wildlife Management for Small-Acreage Landowners
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According to the Texas Demographic Center, Texas’ population is growing at an astonishing rate and is expected to double to 54 million by the year 2050.
The top 5 fastest growing counties in Texas may not be as readily recognized as the counties for large metropolitan areas but the one thing they have in common is their close proximity to large cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Congestion in big cities like these has led to “urban sprawl”, a term that defines the spread of urban development on land that has not yet been developed but lies in close proximity to a densely populated city.
Texas lands are steadily being chopped up
According to Texas Land Trends, a project of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, resident landowner numbers have been on the rise. This indicates that many new landowners are purchasing rural land as their primary residence and not exclusively for working or recreational use.
Driven by historically low interest rates (which have now come and gone) and increased resources, droves of people, including myself, were purchasing acreage lots and small “ranchettes” in new developments with the hopes of leaving the urban environment for a taste of country life.
High demand leads to high prices and an increase in more affordable small-acreage properties. Native landscapes are being progressively more threatened by suburbanization, rural development, and land fragmentation driven by rapid population growth.
The natural ecosystem is being disturbed
Remember as a kid when horny toads and lightning bugs were a common sight? My 14- and 15-year-old son and daughter have never seen either one in the wild, despite our tendency to be very outdoorsy people.
Habitat loss, toxic chemicals, and light pollution have contributed greatly to their decline and near extinction. Many native plants and animals are threatened by the conversion, degradation, and fragmentation of their habitat caused by human activities.
For example, consider what may once have been a 500-acre ranch of native landscape in the country. That raw native land may now be a new ranchette subdivision of custom homes, outbuildings, and all the trappings that go along with living in the “country”. Throw in several other nearby and sometimes adjacent subdivisions and what was once a native habitat is now thousands of homes with paved streets, driveways, sidewalks, streetlights, floodlights, porch lights, and landscape lights with fewer trees and natural vegetation and more impervious cover that prevents the infiltration of water into the soil.
The more human impact creeps further and further into the grasslands and woods, the more slicing and dicing we do to natural spaces into smaller and smaller parcels. The cumulative effect of habitat fragmentation is a hugely negative threat to a landscape’s biodiversity. These threats are exacerbated by ongoing climate change, including higher temperatures and less rainfall.
How can the small landowner help?
Small-acreage property owners in Texas can take steps to manage their land to counter the effects of habitat fragmentation and destruction for the benefit of all wildlife. Many private landowners desire to enact good conservation practices on their lands for the benefit of healthy terrestrial ecosystems.
Properly managed, small, contiguous properties can potentially mitigate the detrimental issues that are typically seen with habitat fragmentation. Landowners of small-acreage properties can combine resources and efforts to manage their collective acreage to benefit wildlife and minimize fragmentation.
The cumulative effect of many small-acreage landowners taking steps to manage their surrounding habitat can result in substantial improvements and reclaimed acreage for wildlife use.
In addition, developers of raw land can and should create generous corridors and greenbelt areas that can act as connectors to larger wildlife-managed areas. Small-acreage wildlife management is becoming more common every day and some Texas appraisal districts are recognizing that the state of Texas offers benefits and encourages landowner participation in wildlife preservation.
In 1995, taxpayers voted to approve Proposition 11 which amended Article VIII, Section 1-d-1 of the Texas Constitution permitting agricultural appraisal (as opposed to market value appraisal) for land used to manage wildlife. In addition to growing crops and raising cattle, wildlife management was added as an acceptable method of agricultural use.
The most commonly targeted species for management on small-acreage properties are songbirds, turkeys, and waterfowl, which require only small habitat-specific areas. Many species of small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians can also be managed in small areas, depending on the specific habitat types your property may have.
Native pollinators, such as native bees, butterflies, and other insects, also make ideal target species for small acreage landowners. Landowners who manage and provide habitat for these categories of wildlife contribute to the improvement and success of ecosystems that have been declining in recent years. In 2012, the “bee law” was passed which permitted property owners with 5 to 20 acres to qualify their land as agricultural by devoting it to beekeeping.
There are qualifying criteria you have to meet, but for those who do qualify or take the necessary steps to become qualified, the tax benefits you could receive may make the effort worthwhile, ultimately incentivizing landowners. Connecting various “conservation” areas could help improve species diversity and keep the ecosystems healthier.
Can we still enjoy the land and help the native ecosystem?
It is possible to live in harmony with the native wildlife we are potentially displacing. Wildlife benefits from the landowner practices that attempt to supplement or reshape the habitat to its natural condition prior to development. Landowners benefit by contributing to the preservation and conservation of native species, the enjoyment of helping and watching wildlife on their property for present and future generations, and potentially lowering their property taxes.
Looking ahead
As people expand and convert more raw land into developed areas, many of the open spaces we see today will inevitably be encroached upon or eliminated entirely by human development. It is critical we do all we can to protect our natural resources and the animals who depend on them for their existence.
By mitigating the fragmentation of open spaces with thorough sound management practices, we can prevent, slow, and even reverse the decline in the state’s wildlife habitat. The goal of wildlife conservation is to protect wildlife habitats and stabilize population numbers to protect the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Humans and wildlife can coexist in a way that allows people to enjoy and use the land for human purposes without exterminating or displacing the native species that depend on the land and its resources for their survival.
Managing land and habitat for wildlife is gaining in popularity and should be encouraged by property tax assessing authorities. By conserving wildlife, we are ensuring that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the incredible species that live within it for future generations to experience and appreciate. Maybe one day, my kids can also see lightning bugs and horny toads in their backyards.
We’re here for you
Applying for exemptions, special valuations and protesting your property taxes can be time intensive and intimidating task to approach on your own. SWBC Ad Valorem Tax Advisors industry experts are here for you. If you want help in reducing your property taxes, reach out to us today!
Gary Rivas
Gary Rivas is a Texas licensed Senior Property Tax Consultant experienced in providing Industrial, Commercial, and Residential property tax reduction advisory services for real and personal property in Texas and multiple states across the country. He has 31 years of experience in the Property Tax Profession with 27 years as a Property Tax Consultant, and 34 years as a licensed Texas Real Estate Agent.
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