Wildlife Management Plans in Texas
A wildlife exemption management plan is a necessary part of converting agricultural lands to wildlife use. A plan must be submitted to the appraisal district in the county in which your property is found to qualify for a wildlife valuation. A written wildlife management plan is not just a requirement of your application. The management plan serves to guide you, and inform the appraisal district, in the management of the habitat and targeted wildlife.
A county appraisal district will not grant a wildlife exemption (valuation) unless a formal, written plan is included with the 1-d-1 application. In addition, the management plan must outline at least three qualifying wildlife management practices that will be implemented on the land for wildlife.
Developing a Sound Management Plan
A detailed plan for your property may sound daunting, but don’t worry. This is where we can help you. We understand that developing an acceptable management plan can be challenging and time consuming for landowners that do not have a background in wildlife sciences. Furthermore, having an understanding of the many habitat management practices that can be used to manage a piece of property is invaluable, too.
Many landowners become overwhelmed when they realize that they must develop an effective, wildlife exemption management plan to submit to the appraisal district. Not only does the lay person lack the knowledge of common habitat management practices, but they may not know which practices are applicable to their land.
It is usually at this point that landowners look for professional help. However, after being quoted prices that range from $1,500 to $2,000 for a management plan, the benefits of the wildlife exemption start to fade for the small acreage landowner. Sure, the tax advantages of an wildlife valuation can be realized on larger properties even after paying several thousand dollars, but why do that when we can deliver professional, customized management plans for just pennies on the dollar?
After years of experience, We have streamlined the process of developing wildlife management plans for individual property owners. In short, we have the education, the knowledge, and the experience to develop you a low cost wildlife management plan simply by corresponding with you via email. This keeps our costs down—and yours, too. Instead of charging you $750 or more for a site visit, we ask that you answer our series of standardized questions. These questions, with additional follow up if necessary, are designed to help us understand more about you, your goals, and your property.
Low Cost Wildlife Exemption Management Plans
We charge a $399 flat fee for a custom wildlife exemption management plan. That’s it. And most landowners understand the value of this service. Our costs is based on the volume of individuals that we can serve in this manner, not on how far we have to drive, the price of gas, or expensive overhead costs. And if that is not enough information to make an informed decision, think about total costs.
A wildlife exemption allows landowners to eliminate traditional farming and ranching practices on their property while maintaining a low agricultural tax rate. Ag and wildlife tax rates usually range from $1 to $2 an acre, depending upon county. However, if you lose your agricultural tax valuation, the tax rate for your now residential-taxed acreage can jump up to $30 to $50 an acre. Even on 30 acres, that’s an minimum difference of over $800 annually!