Wildlife management valuation in Reeves County, Texas

• Grazing Management: Activities should be reviewed annually.
• Prescribed Burning: Plans should indicate a minimum percent of acreage and general burning cycle (eg., an 8 to 15 year burning cycle in the Trans-Pecos so that approximately 10% of the designated area is scheduled for burning each year).
• Range Enhancement (Range Reseeding): Range Enhancement should annually affect a minimum of 10% of the total area designated in the plan, or a minimum of 20 acres annually, whichever is less, until the project is completed.
• Brush Management: Brush Management practices should annually affect a minimum of 10% of the total area designated in the plan, or a minimum of 100 acres annually, whichever is smaller.
• Brush Management — Woody Plant Establishment: Woody plant establishment should annually affect a minimum of 10% of the acreage designated in the plan or a minimum of 5 acres annually, whichever is less.
• Vegetation Surveys: A minimum of five, 300-foot permanent transects are required for each major vegetative type. Surveys should be conducted using standard methodology to identify 100 plants per transect (i.e., identify a plant every 3 feet along the transect line).
• Fence Modification: The minimum intensity of this practice to qualify is a 100-yard gap installed for every ½ mile of net-wire fence that exists within the range of the target species. A fence modification project will qualify for 5 years, and a minimum of 20% of the designated fencing must be modified annually.
• Riparian Management and Enhancement: A minimum of one Riparian Management and Enhancement project must be implemented and maintained every 10 years to qualify.
• Wetland Enhancement: Annual management as described in management plan, such as water level manipulation qualifies. Construction and maintenance of a new project will qualify for 10 years.
• Habitat Protection for Species of Concern: A minimum of one project must be implemented every 10 years to qualify.
• Prescribed Control of Native, Exotic and Feral Species: The removal or control of exotic vegetation or the conversion of non-native grass pastures must affect a minimum of 10% of the non-native vegetation on the property or 20 acres annually, whichever is less.
• Wildlife Restoration: Restoration or enhancement of habitat to good condition for target species, and reintroduction and population management of TPWD approved native species within the carrying capacity of the habitat as part of an approved restoration area at a scale capable of supporting a sustainable population (eg., pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, Mearns' quail).

• Pond Construction and Major Repair: A minimum of one project must be implemented and maintained every 10 years to qualify.
• Streamside, Pond, and Wetland Revegetation: A minimum of one project must be completed and maintained every 5 years, affecting a minimum of 2 acres per project.
• Plant Establishment on Critical Areas (erodible): A minimum of 50 seedlings per acre must be planted annually on 5 acres or a minimum of 10%, whichever is smaller, of the total designated area treated annually.(standard not yet verified against the source document)
• Dike/Levee Construction/Management: A minimum of one project must be completed and maintained every 10 years.
• Establish Water Diversion: A minimum of one project must be completed and maintained every 10 years.

• Predator Management: The predator control plan should be prepared or approved by a competent professional and include intended method(s), duration and intensity of control to annually manage the target species.
• Imported Red Fire Ant Control: Proper treatment of at least 10 acres or 10% of infested area per year, whichever is more.
• Control of Cowbirds: Removal of at least 30 cowbirds annually is required to qualify.
• Grackle/Starling/House Sparrows Control: Removal of at least 30 grackles/starlings/house sparrows annually is required to qualify.

• Marsh/Cienega/Wetland Restoration or Development: The minimum requirement to qualify under this practice is one marsh/wetland restoration or development project every 5 years; or the annual manipulation of water (flooding and draw-down) on a marsh, cienega, or other wetland.
• Well/Troughs/Windmill Overflow/Other Wildlife Watering Facilities: A minimum of one project per 5 years must be completed to qualify; or the consistent management and maintenance of watering sites specifically for wildlife benefits.
• Spring Development and/or Enhancement: A minimum of one project per 5 years must be completed to qualify, or the consistent management and maintenance of existing or restored springs to prevent degradation.

• Food Plots: A minimum of 1% of the acreage should be planted in both winter and summer food plots.
• Food Plots — Late Winter Disking: A minimum of 1% of the acreage should be disked annually to qualify.
• Feeders and Mineral Supplementation: For big game animals and wild turkeys, a minimum of one free-choice feeder, feeding station and/or mineral station per 2 sections (1,280 acres) is required to qualify (See Appendix G and H for deer; See Appendix O for turkeys). Feeders must be in use during recommended seasons and appropriate supplements must be provided. For deer, protein supplements (cottonseed cake, whole cottonseed, 16% or 20% protein pellets, etc.) may be provided during any season, while energy supplements (corn, whole cottonseed, etc.) may be used during late summer/early fall and winter. For quail and other birds, a minimum of one free-choice feeder per 640 acres is required to qualify (See Appendices P, Q and R for quail).
• Managing Tame Pasture, Old Fields and Croplands: A minimum of 5 percent of the designated area must be treated annually to qualify.

• Nest Boxes, Bat Boxes: Number and location of nest boxes should be consistent with habitat needs and territorial requirements of the target species, and sufficient over the area to provide a real supplement to the target population and address an identified severe limiting factor as part of a comprehensive wildlife management plan.
• Brush Piles and Slash Retention: A minimum of 10% of the designated area or 10 acres, whichever is less, must be treated annually to qualify.
• Fence Line Management: A minimum length of 300 feet of Fence Line Management per ¼-mile of applicable fence must be completed/initiated annually to qualify.
• Cropland Management for Wildlife: Use of no till/minimum till agricultural practices to leave waste grain and stubble on the soil surface until the next planting season to provide supplemental food or cover for wildlife, control erosion, and improve soil tilth.
• Half-Cutting Trees or Shrubs: A minimum of one clump of trees/shrubs per 100 yards (~1 per acre) on at least 10 percent of the designated acreage or on 10 acres, whichever is less, must be developed annually to qualify.
• Woody Plant/Shrub Establishment: Planting and protecting native seedlings to establish wind rows and shrub thickets, or to restore wooded habitats within former croplands, tame pastures or CRP land. In agricultural areas, this practice may include planting a minimum of 50 seedlings annually in mottes, clumps, or short rows. Plantings should consist of native trees and shrubs that produce hard or soft mast, or provide nesting or escape cover. Plantings should be made in groups to provide both cover and additional food, rather than scattered individual trees.
• Natural Cavity/Snag Development: A minimum of 1 snag per acre on the applicable portion of the property must be created/retained annually to qualify.

• Spotlight Counts: A minimum of three counts must be completed annually. At least 10% of the total acreage should be observed during the spotlight survey.
• Aerial Counts: Use of a fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter to count animals. Counts should employ accepted methodology for the region and be performed by a trained individual annually.
• Daylight Deer Herd, Wildlife Composition Counts, Photo Stations: Counts to evaluate trends in wildlife numbers should be conducted on a standardized route that is at least 5 miles in length and run at least 3 times. If shorter routes are used, a total of at least 15 miles must be surveyed. Other standardized methodology may be used to obtain at least 100 observations. For example, sex and age information for deer may be obtained from areas where deer concentrate, such as watering sites, crop fields, food plots, deer feeders, etc. Observations from stationary blinds should involve at least 5 separate, 2-hour counts during early morning or late afternoon.
• Harvest Data Collection/Record Keeping: Collect all age, weight, and antler development data from harvested deer. Age and sex information should be obtained from game birds and waterfowl to determine sex ratios and annual production.
• Browse Utilization Surveys: Annually (normally during the winter) examine deer browse species for degree of utilization on each major vegetative site on the property through vegetation analysis and stem counts.
• Census of Endangered, Threatened, or Protected Wildlife: Regular, periodic counts of the target species used to enhance management or increase knowledge of local, regional, or state status.
• Census and Monitoring of Nongame Wildlife Species: Regular, periodic counts of nongame wildlife species used to enhance management or increase knowledge of local, regional, or state status. This practice would also include developing checklists of wildlife diversity for the property, and should be a part of a comprehensive wildlife management plan.
• Miscellaneous Counts (species-specific special survey techniques): Specific species may require special survey techniques. These may include the following and should be addressed in the management plan:

Both are 1-d-1 open-space valuations, not true exemptions. Converting means filing a new 1-d-1 application (Form 50-129) with the wildlife-management section completed, plus a wildlife management plan (TPWD PWD-885), with the appraisal district between January 1 and April 30. Your land must already hold 1-d-1 (or timber) valuation, and wildlife management must become its primary use. In Reeves County that means TPWD’s Trans-Pecos guidelines.

Conversion keeps your existing 1-d-1 productivity valuation with wildlife management as the qualifying use — it is designed to be tax-neutral relative to your current ag valuation. The chief appraiser makes every valuation decision; no software or consultant can promise an outcome.

At least 3 of the 7 statutory practices; many landowners commit to 5 or more for margin. Practices come with region-specific intensity standards — for Trans-Pecos, the standards are set out in TPWD’s regional guidelines and summarized on this page.

There is no blanket statewide minimum. A minimum-acreage test (the wildlife-use requirement) applies only if your tract was reduced in size after January 1 of the preceding tax year; otherwise the requirement does not apply at all. If it does apply, the appraisal district picks a ratio from the range set for this wildlife-use appraisal region — the ranges for this county are on this page.

Ask about the good-cause extension first: before the deadline the chief appraiser may grant up to 60 extra days on written request. After that, late applications are accepted until the ARB approves the appraisal records — typically around July 20 statewide, but confirm the current year’s schedule with the appraisal district — with a penalty of 10% of that year’s tax savings.