Managing Land for Wildlife Workshop May 20 in Houston

Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.texas.gov

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HOUSTON — Texans are reconnecting with the landscape. As people buy property for retirement, some are moving back to the country. Not all of them want to raise livestock and some just want to enjoy the rural lifestyle. For those interested in wildlife, the workshop Managing Your Land For Wildlife: Practical First Steps on May 20 will offer practical guidance.

The workshop is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Cooperative Extension, and the Katy Prairie Conservancy to help landowners develop management plans for their properties and give them a foundation for wise decision-making. It will be held at Extension’s Harris County office at 3033 Bear Creek Drive in Houston off I10 near Highway 6 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat., May 20.

Workshops like this one are now held annually in Houston, and these topics have generated so much interest that this year organizers split the workshop into two separate dates.

In February, 75 participants came to the first Houston area workshop for this year These participants own 17,500 acres of private land in 34 counties across Texas.

“These workshops are not for just the large acreage landowner” said Keith Crenshaw, TPWD urban wildlife biologist in Houston. “Anybody with land or the desire to purchase property later that cares about wildlife and land management should come.”

For the upcoming May 20 workshop, topics include: writing a wildlife management plan, evaluating your property for wildlife, techniques to survey wildlife, qualifications for wildlife tax exemption, and a testimonial on managing for cattle and wildlife. This one-day workshop comes complete with an in-the-field activity to put workshop concepts into practice. Three general applicator’s license Continuing Education Units from the Texas Department of Agriculture are available for those interested.

The registration fee for the workshop is $20, payable to the Katy Prairie Conservancy, which covers lunch and all materials. Checks should be mailed to the TPWD urban wildlife office at 14320 Garrett Road, Houston, TX 77044.

For details contact the TPWD urban wildlife office at (281) 456-7029 or the Katy Prairie Conservancy Office at (713) 523-6135. Basic information is also on the Web calendars for TPWD and Texas Cooperative Extension.

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