Workshop targets city dwellers with rural properties

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

June 30, 2005 - A July 9 workshop in Dallas is going to provide a plethora of details for urban folks who own rural land. Everything from how to gain property tax discounts to battling invasive plants and bugs will be covered in the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event.

The landowner workshop, hosted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Wildlife Association, and North Texas Master Naturalists, will be at the Texas A&M Dallas - Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 17360 Coit Rd., Dallas.

The changing demographics in Texas reflect that "many large land holdings are being split up, and being developed into what's being termed 'recreational ranchettes,'" noted Brett Johnson, TPWD urban wildlife biologist. "When land is broken up, so is the valuable wildlife habitat."

Educating new or absentee landowners about how they are "crucial to the wildlife management of the future" is the goal of the workshop, Johnson added.

Besides making the land better for wildlife, and livestock, the landowner will learn about necessities for filing a wildlife tax valuation on the property. Johnson said he understands the wildlife tax valuation is "one for one" with the agricultural valuation property tax discount.

"There's some simple things a property owner can do to make the land, and water, good for wildlife," Johnson said; and in turn, make the property eligible for the wildlife tax valuation.

Also, bettering the property for wildlife now will, in the long run, make it easier for sustaining a good wildlife population for future generations, the biologist noted.

Maintaining the land for wildlife tax valuation is a lot less intensive, Johnson pointed out in comparison to the ag tax valuation. "And this doesn't mean you have to get rid of the cattle. Actually, you can use the cattle as a wildlife management tool."

Details of that topic will be covered during the workshop. Plus, there will be experts describing the "whys and hows" of prescribed burning, funding sources for conservation projects, enhancing wetlands, and rotational grazing for livestock.

Landowners will also learn how to conduct a wildlife evaluation of their property. Johnson noted part of filing for a wildlife tax valuation includes listing various wildlife currently on the property. Answering the "how do I count what I have?" question is on the workshop's agenda.

For the $25 registration fee, the landowner will also receive lunch, course notebooks and a CD. "The CD has a lot of information, including a wildlife management plan form that can be completed and given to the county's tax assessor," Johnson said.

To get an accurate count for lunch, and CDs, Johnson asks that people planning to attend contact workshop organizers by Tuesday, July 5. Information is available online at: www.ntmn.org or call Johnson at 972-293-3841 or Donna Cole at 972-625-3366.