Posts tagged with private landowners. View all posts
With the help of our partners in February, NRI released the 2022 Landowner Survey for landowners who own or operate private working lands in Texas. This voluntary questionnaire serves to gather information on the needs, preferences, concerns, and challenges regarding the everyday management of property that landowners face. The survey is set to close on May 13!
NRI's Texas Land Trends program released the 2022 Landowner Survey for landowners who own or operate private working lands in Texas. This voluntary questionnaire serves to gather information on the needs, preferences, concerns, and challenges regarding the everyday management of property that landowners face.
Working lands, whether private or publicly owned, provide substantial economic, ecological, and recreational resources across the U.S. Here in Texas, we often boast of being a “private land state”, meaning the majority of the land (~95%) is held in private ownership. Many may wonder how this came to be and if other states fall under similar ownership patterns. For this new Featured Map, we briefly explore the history of land settlement across the nation and demonstrate the unique ownership landscape that exists today.
Just like old times, only different. Adjusting to social distancing measures allowed us to think creatively in how we approach our engagement and education work, and partnering with the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve was a smart match for our team and like-minded missions—educating land stewards by demonstration and practice.
Private Land Stewardship is a core component of our mission at the NRI, and our goal is to provide landowners with the resources they need to better care for their land. For new or future landowners, the best time to gather knowledge and information is before making management decisions that will have lasting effects on the land. Thinking of well-managed land conjures up images of lush, green fields and healthy wildlife populations, but it is important to stop and consider where it all begins—with the cultivation of healthy soils.
Not surprisingly, about 94% of Texas is privately owned—84% of that land is considered working lands (farm, range and timberland) making private landowners the stewards with the largest influence over natural resources compared to public lands. As we watch Texas experience the largest inter-generational change in landownership ever experienced, how landowners continue the legacy of land management is up to them, making education the first priority.
Given the preponderance of livestock and growing interest in wildlife management, it’s easy to understand why helping landowners and naturalists better identify and manage plants and animals on their property is essential for raising awareness of and improving open land in Texas. Find our growing list of recommended mobile apps here.
At the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), promoting and supporting private land stewardship is a core part of our mission, values and daily work. So what does land stewardship actually involve?
“The Changing Face of Engagement: Reaching the 21st Century Forest and Rangeland Client,” a workshop for professionals who work with landowners, stewards and producers on forest lands and rangelands, is set for July 25-27 in Manhattan, Kansas.
While ag tax evaluations traditionally involve practices such as haying, cropping, grazing and livestock, the state added a wildlife management use component in 1995. This non-traditional approach to preserving open space lands and their values has gained momentum in the past two decades, as the total number of acres enrolled has risen from 93K in 1997 to 3.2M in 2012. So how do you qualify and what is the process to switch from a traditional ag use property to wildlife management use?
Accurately detecting possible emissions from gas wells or other sources and then analyzing the resulting effects on ambient air quality can be complicated tasks. A team of Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI) researchers is helping landowners across the state tackle such concerns on their properties by providing objective data and analysis of air pollutants.
