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

Keeping The Country in The Texas Hill Country

Keeping The Country in The Texas Hill Country 

Nearly two decades ago, Gene and Linda Lowenthal, who were living in Austin, decided that they would eventually want to move to the wide-open countryside. They bought 58 acres in this small town in the Texas Hill Country, about 45 minutes west of Austin, built a small house and moved here in the mid-90’s finally free of noise and sprawl.

That freedom lasted about nine years. Then, bulldozers started appearing on hillsides once covered with live oak and mesquite trees. Houses and traffic lights popped up on once-forlorn roads leading to their home. Plans for a water line were drawn. Continue reading Keeping The Country in The Texas Hill Country