Article by skledbetter: skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Two Texas Nutrient Management Certification Short Courses will be held in August and hosted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, according to Dr. Sam Feagley, AgriLife Extension state soil environmental specialist and program coordinator.
The first conference will be Aug. 14-17 in the College Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush Drive, College Station. The second will be Aug. 21-24 in the MCM Elegante Suites, 4250 Ridgemont Drive, Abilene.
Registration information is available at http://nmp.tamu.edu and by clicking on “Get Certified.” Registration deadline is one week in advance of the course and the cost will depend on who is taking the course and whether testing will be included, Feagley said. Registration costs are outlined on the website.
AUSTIN — Continuing to recognize rural Texas as a vital source for creating jobs, advancing new technology and providing the cultural fabric of the state, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today joined members of The Texas Rural Health and Economic Development Advisory Council in hosting the two-day Texas Rural Summit titled “Rural Texas – Growing Texas.”
“A growing Texas depends on growing our rural economy,” Commissioner Staples said. “Rural Texas is vital to the state’s $100 billion agriculture industry, but it also plays an important role in the overall economic growth of the Lone Star State. While only 12 percent of our population calls our rural areas home, 100 percent of Texans enjoy the benefits that occur in these areas. Today more than ever, rural Texas holds great promise for job growth and opportunities in the industries of health care, technology, workforce development and entrepreneurship.”
Highlighted by interactive panel discussions, the summit’s theme, “Rural Texas – Growing Texas,” reflects a continuing need for rural Texas to enhance and expand opportunities related to economic development, health care, workforce development, skills training and community infrastructure.
“This summit is an excellent opportunity for rural stakeholders across the state to get updates on current programs and procedures, as well as identify new ways to address opportunities and challenges in rural Texas,” said Nicki Harle, executive director of the Texas Midwest Community Network.
The information gathered during the summit will serve as a launching point for the Texas Rural Health and Economic Development Advisory Council as it develops a Rural Policy Plan for the state. In November 2011, Commissioner Staples formed the nine-member advisory council with the task of identifying rural policy priorities and reviewing existing rural programs.
The council’s Rural Policy Plan will include strategic initiatives for economic and community development; rural health care improvements; and recommendations for the use and allocation of Community Development Block Grant funding, which is used to make improvements in rural communities. The council’s Rural Policy Plan must be submitted to the Texas Legislature on or before Dec. 1, 2012.
The United States Government is establishing a claims process to make available $1.33 billion or more to farmers who alleged discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on being female, or based on being Hispanic, in making or servicing farm loans during certain periods between 1981 and 2000. If you qualify and submit a timely claim, you could receive an award of up to $250,000 in cash. USDA will also provide a total of up to $160 million in debt relief to successful claimants who currently owe USDA money for eligible farm loans. Successful claimants may also receive an additional amount, equal to 25% of the combined cash award plus the principal amount of debt relief, to help pay federal taxes that may be owed.
AUSTIN - In continuing a proud tradition of honoring hardworking generations of Texas farmers and ranchers, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today extended the deadline for families to apply for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Family Land Heritage (FLH) Program. The program recognizes family farms and ranches that have been in continuous agricultural production by the same family for at least 100 years. Applications are now due June 1, 2012.
“Through generations of hard work, perseverance and love of the land, these families have operated their farms and ranches for 100 years or more, making Texas a powerhouse of agricultural productivity,” Commissioner Staples said. “This commitment to the land is the foundation on which Texas agriculture is built, and thanks to these families and their ancestors, the Lone Star State today stands as a recognized producer of the finest food and fiber in the world.”
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and other partner organizations will hold three risk management workshops for sheep and goat producers in May and June. Participants will learn best practices in sheep and goat production, including livestock risk protection, cost of production analysis and market forces analysis.
“Prices paid for sheep and goats continue to be excellent and the future of the industry is bright,” said Bill Thompson, Texas AgriLife Extension economist at San Angelo. “It is the partnership’s aim to help growers incorporate risk management strategies into their plans as they contemplate either expansion or drought recovery efforts.”
All workshops run from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The three workshops include:
• May 31 in the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office for Gillespie County, 95 Frederick Road in Fredericksburg;
• June 5 in the Ed Davenport Civic Center, 100 Brady Country Club Road in Brady; and
• June 7 at the Iraan Civic Center, 9271 Alley Oop Lane in Iraan.
Additional partner organizations include the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency and the American Sheep Industry Association.
Registration is $15, due one week before each workshop. Registration thereafter will be $40. To register, contact Thompson at (325) 653-4576 or w-thompson@tamu.edu.
HUNTSVILLE – Landowners in Walker County and surrounding counties can participate in an upcoming Community Wildfire Protection meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 5 at the Walker County Storm Shelter, Veterans Complex located at 455 Highway 75 north in Huntsville.
Preregistration is required by May 30, and participants may call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Walker County at 936-435-2426 to reserve seating. There is no charge to attend the meeting, and a ribeye-dinner will be provided courtesy of AgriLand Farm Credit, Texas Farm Bureau -Walker County and Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Beef.
Seating is limited, and preregistration is required. The program begins at 7 p.m. Speakers will be discussing information useful to agricultural landowners on several wildfire-related subjects.
“Featured among the presentations will be information on fire behavior and land-management recommendations provided by the Texas Forest Service,” said Reginald Lepley, AgriLife Extension agent for Walker County. “Owners of rural homes will be interested in learning about the Ready Set Go! program presented by the Huntsville Fire Department designed to protect homes in wildland urban interface areas. Livestock managers will find information provided by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service related to planning and preparation for livestock during a wildfire.”
The long-awaited decision from the Texas Supreme Court on the Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day McDaniel makes it clear that the landowner owns the groundwater in place as part of their land, according to Kenneth Dierschke, president of the Texas Farm Bureau.
“This is another in a long line of recent successes defending private property rights, including key eminent domain reforms,” Dierschke said. “The ruling recognized the passage of SB 332—Texas Farm Bureau’s priority legislation on groundwater ownership passed in the last legislative session—that says a landowner’s interest in groundwater in place cannot be taken for public use without adequate compensation.”
Dierschke said the ruling goes beyond state water codes, giving landowners a constitutional protection under takings laws regarding private property. However, the president of the state’s largest farm organization noted that ownership of groundwater does not preclude the regulation of groundwater for conservation purposes.
“The court recognized the authority of the Edwards Aquifer Authority and groundwater conservation districts to regulate groundwater, even though it is the private property of the landowner,” Dierschke said. “The Texas Supreme Court decision provides a critical balance between the state and local entities’ authority to conserve this precious resource and the landowner’s right to use it.”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and Texas U.S. Senator John Cornyn today announced their strong support for recently introduced legislation that will provide for a permanent repeal of the federal estate tax, commonly referred to as the death tax.
Senator Cornyn is a co-sponsor of the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act (S. 2242) which would stop the federal government from considering death as a taxable event. S. 2242, introduced by Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), is identical to legislation (H.R. 1259) introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Kevin Brady (R-Texas).
“The death tax hurts family farmers and ranchers across Texas at the worst time possible, and in many cases Texans are forced to sell the family farm or ranch just to pay this tax. It’s time to put common sense above Washington greed and get rid of the death tax once and for all,” said Senator John Cornyn.
In the final installment of a series on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas, in partnership with StateImpact Oklahoma, reports on what happens when laws favoring landowners come into conflict with pipeline companies granted the power to seize land. Read the full story at StateImpact Texas.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/texas-energy/energy/in-texas-property-rights-with-oil-industry/.
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