Division of rural lands threatens wildlife, family farms

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Dr. Neal Wilkins, a wildlife specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension, presented statistics about the "disappearing" mid-size farms and ranches in Texas during a May 12 press briefing. -- Staff photo by Taylor

May 22, 2003 -- With everything that's happened in the Texas legislature during the 78th Session, there's one more important agricultural issue that is up for discussion.

During a press briefing in Austin on May 12, a joint study by the Texas Cooperative Extension of the Texas A&M University System, along with American Farmland Trust, was presented concerning the dangers of land fragmentation for wildlife, agriculture, and Texas heritage.

Rep. Charlie Geren of District 99 introduced House Bill 895, and Sen. Ken Armbrister of District 18 introduced Senate Bill 992, each having to do with the establishment of a Purchase of Development Rights program. As of press time, neither bill had made it to the respective legislative floors.

According to press releases and material offered by the study group, Texas' rural lands that are being divided into smaller "ranchettes" are threatening wildlife and the family farms who make their living off the land.

"The study shows that mid-sized farms and ranches are disappearing faster from the Texas landscape. Each year, we lose about 250,000 acres of mid-sized properties. In the rapidly fragmenting portions of the state, these farms and ranches are most often broken into smaller ownerships," explained Dr. Neal Wilkins, wildlife specialist for Texas Cooperative Extension.

Privately-owned farms, ranches, and forestlands account for 144 million acres or about 84 percent of the state - a number greater than any other state, according to the presentation. While the number of new farms and ranches established since 1970 have added about 1,000 to their numbers, the total area in farms and ranches has declined by almost 3 million acres.

The report states about 78 percent of Texas farms and ranches are smaller than 500 acres, accounting for 14 percent of the state's farm and ranch acreage, with only 6 percent of all farms and ranches exceeding 2,000 acres, accounting for about 63 percent of the farm and ranch acreage.

"The consequences of fragmentation can be seen in the eastern half of the state and on the outskirts of just about any major city," said Julie Shackelford, American Farmland Trust's Texas regional director. "Even land in some of the most rural areas is in high demand for its scenic beauty and recreational potential."

According to Shackelford, the fragmentation of rural land is causing a breakdown in local agricultural infrastructure for farmers and ranchers, and urban dwellers are paying more taxes to develop more services needed for the new areas.

As for changes in land usage, from 1992 to 2001, the trend was to convert native rangelands and croplands to nonnative "improved pastures," which resulted in a significant loss of wildlife habitats, the study states.

Also, the larger the ranch, the more likely it would remain native rangeland.

While most market values of farm/ranch land increased to $624 per acre, the average agricultural value was $80 per acre. In order to keep larger farms and ranches from breaking up and selling off smaller developments, HB 895 and SB992 would initiate a Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR) in Texas.

Shackelford said PDR programs are already in place in 21 other states, with some on the East Coast having been operating for 30 years. Two of the oldest programs are located in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The PDR works by the programs purchasing development rights from landowners who are compensated for conserving wildlife, water and open landscapes, rather than selling the land for further development.

According to the study, the landowners usually retain all other rights of ownership, including the right to use the land for agriculture, hunting, preventing trespassers, selling, bequeathing, or otherwise transferring the land to others.

The agency/organization which makes the purchase has the right and responsibility to "limit subdivision and development of the property as described in provisions of the agreement."

"The bottom line is that Texas landowners need more options to keep land in private ownership and management," Shackelford said. "A statewide purchase of development rights program offers a realistic solution. But, in order to effectively rein in fragmentation, it needs to happen now, rather than later."

(More information concerning fragmentation can be found on American Farmland Trust's website at www.farmland.org.)