Tax Appraisal for Landowners: the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Non-game and Rare Species Program has guidelines to develop ‘native pollinator management plans’. These differ from bee-keeping guidelines for honeybees. We encourage landowners to contact TPWD biologists or USDA-NRCS providers regarding wildlife management plans; and their county’s Central Appraisal District office regarding tax reduction. Property owners may qualify for agricultural tax appraisal based on wildlife management if they implement 3 of 7 practices described in the 1-D-1 (Open-Space) form to help sustain populations of wild animals, such as pollinators:
- Provide shelter, water, or food (see ‘Texas prairie plants for native bees’ bottom)
- Control habitat, erosion, or predators
- Do population censuses (also see ‘Texas Pollinator Guides’ sub-page)
Landowners who choose to do population censuses are encouraged to adopt these standardized guidelines, which the Jha lab created to facilitate surveys. Below, we supply: Pollinator survey instructions, data sheets, and an ID guide. We can also analyze survey results to visualize trends and gauge management success – a valuable component of annual reports required by tax appraisers – if data are uploaded to our Pollinator Survey , emailed to ltrevino@austin.utexas.edu or mailed (below).
- Pollinator Habitat Surveys & Management.pdf (3 pp. double-sided)
- Survey Data Sheets.pdf (4 pp. double-sided)
- Texas Bee ID Guide.pdf (4 pp. double-sided, short edge bind)
For more on pollinators & tax valuation:
- TPWD pdf, NRCS, Comptroller.Texas.Gov
- TPWD Management of native insect pollinators
- TPWD Native Pollinators Private Lands
Naturalists, Citizen Scientists, and Educators may download these leaflets for use in the classroom or field. To ID pollinators in your area, find a local guide in the ‘Texas Pollinator Guides’ sub-page.
- Pollinator Habitat Conservation.pdf
- Pollinator Habitat Surveys.pdf
- Texas Prairie Plants for Native Bees.pdf
