The Wildlife Exemption and Management

The wildlife exemption is the most misunderstood valuation in Texas. First, it really is a valuation, or the rate at which a property is taxed. Many county appraisal districts do not realize the intention of the wildlife exemption or wildlife valuation or whatever you want to call it. No matter how you slice it, the widlife exemption is all about protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat in Texas.

One of the main goals of the wildlife exemption legislation is to protect animals that are native to Texas. This is a key component in converting land that from an ag exemption (1-d-1) to a wildlife exemption. Land may qualify for wildlife management use if it is instrumental in supporting a sustaining breeding, migrating or wintering population. A group of animals need not permanently reside on the land, provided they regularly migrate across the land or seasonally live there. Continue reading The Wildlife Exemption and Management

The Reality of Wildlife Exemptions in Texas

The Reality of Wildlife Exemptions in Texas 

Last year, 61 parcels of land in Travis County were designated as ecology laboratories for research purposes, which saved the 22 owners thousands of dollars in property taxes. But this year, every one of those ecolab exemptions was denied after the Travis County Central Appraisal District determined that they weren’t legitimate. A couple have been reinstated since they were pulled, and other property owners may sue, but there is a fundamental problem with the state’s ecolab and wildlife preservation tax exemptions: It is hard to know whether they are legitimate. Continue reading The Reality of Wildlife Exemptions in Texas