AUSTIN, Texas (July 17, 2024) – Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk Jr. addressed the Texas House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism to promote the need for the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program and raise awareness about land fragmentation trends and impacts amid the state’s rapid growth.
Polk, a rancher and landowner from East Texas, spoke on behalf of ranchers and landowners to deliver a message that the loss of working lands is not theoretical. It is very real for cattle raisers and landowners, as are the challenges that accompany such land use changes.
“When ranchers hold out and try to continue production in the face of development, they are confronted with new challenges such as a strain on natural resources necessary for agriculture, like water,” Polk said.
Working lands, which include ranch and pastureland, make up 81% of the state of Texas. Today, Texas loses 1,000 acres of these lands per day to development — an increase from the 650 acres of working lands lost only 10 years ago.
“The need for keeping land in agricultural production is greater now than it has ever been,” Polk said.
The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association president also testified that, while the challenge at hand clearly illustrates the need for the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, it’s important the program supports conservation easements that keep land in agricultural production.
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