HB247

HB 247 is up for hearing today (Tuesday, 5/8/01) before the Senate Natural Resources Committee in the Senate Chamber at 2 p.m. It should pass out of committee quickly, so now is the time to contact your local senator about his vote on the Senate Floor. (See the committee members below, and go to www.capitol.state.tx.us to find out who your senator is and how to contact him or her.)

TRUE CASE: A rancher from near Boerne runs a ranch-tourism business on his property. He began repairing dams on 7 ponds that were damaged by flooding in 1998, and the TNRCC told him he would be fined $5,000 per day per impoundment ($35,000 per day) until he went through the major hassel, and very high cost, of getting a state permit for the ponds. The rancher uses the small ponds for domestic and livestock purposes--and such ponds do not have to be permitted. But a new interpretation of the law by the TNRCC maintains that since the ponds also are used for entertaining clients as part of his ranch-tourism operation, the impoundments must be permitted. That means fewer ponds will be built, and habitat and water for wildlife (such as waterfowl, deer and migrating songbirds) will be reduced, and that a Bed-and-Breakfast (or any landowner) could not use a small pond in advertisements-- even word-of-mouth--to attract hunters, fishermen, birders, hikers, etc. HB 247 would correct this misinterpretation.
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HB 3123

HB 3123 would allow the TPWD to have a major say in what standards will be used to cause land to be qualified for appraisal for ad valorem tax puposes as open-spaced land based on its use for wildlife management. The tax break for qualifying landowners will help conserve (and likely restore) wildlife habitat, and should help slow the fragmentation of that habitat. HB 3123 has passed through the House...now we need to ask Senator Buster Brown to sponsor the bill in the Texas Senate, hold hearings on it in the Senate Natural Resources Committee he chairs--before the end of this week--and then get the bill to the full Senate for a vote. Senator Brown's contact info, and info on the committee members who will vote on this bill, is below.

The Texas Wildlife Association is supporting both these bills.

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Senate Natural Resources Committee Buster Brown, chair, Lake Jackson, 512/463-0117 fax 512/463-0639, for e-mail go to www.senate.state.tx.us

Robert Duncan, V-chair, Lubbock, 512/463-0128 fax 512/463-2424, e-mail robert.duncan@senate.state.tx.us

Gonzalo Barrientos, Austin, 512/463-0114 fax 512/463-5949, e-mail gonzalo.barrientos@senate.state.tx.us

David Bernsen, Beaumont, 512/463-0104 fax 512/463-6373, e-mail david.bernsen@senate.state.tx.us

Teel Bivins, Amarillo, 512/463-0131 fax 512/475-3733, e-mail via www.senate.state.tx.us

Tom Haywood, Witchita Falls, 512/463-0130 fax 512/463-8874, e-mail tom.haywood@senate.state.tx.us

Eddie Lucio, Brownsville, 512/463-0127 fax 512/463-0061, e-mail via www.senate.state.tx.us

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