TDA Legislative Report
The Texas Deer Association has been hard at work, meeting with lawmakers across the state to discuss topics impacting our industry. Issues such as animal ID, breeder and release site classifications, cross-fencing, pen inspection protocol, and the upcoming Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission Sunset process have dominated the conversations. The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission (Sunset Commission) is charged with identifying and eliminating waste, duplication and inefficiency for more than 130 Texas state agencies. Periodically, every state agency is reviewed and will automatically be abolished on its “Sunset date” unless the Legislature passes a bill to continue it, typically for another 12 years. The Sunset Commission recommends statutory changes to solve problems identified in the Sunset staff report and during public hearings and can issue management directives to an agency to address operations concerns identified during the review process. Currently, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) are under this very important review. Of note, in the TPWD Sunset Self Evaluation Report, TPWD staff has recommended RAISING the fees for breeder permits. Obviously, TDA will be opposed to this fiscal change. Both of the TAHC and TPWD Sunset Self Evaluation Reports are linked below:
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/media/tpwd_sunset_self_evaluation_report_2019.pdf
Texas Animal Health Commission:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/agency/Sun_selfeval_2019.pdf
TDA Regulatory Report
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be holding a Work Session and Public Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, November 6th and 7th. During the Work Session on Wednesday, TPWD Staff will be requesting permission to implement a fee for MLDP permits to be issued. The proposed amendments would: 1) establish fees and payment deadlines for participation in the MLDP; 2) Synchronize deadline for a program participant to decline participation in the MLDP with the deadline for fee payment; 3) Clarify the requirements for enrollment of management units and aggregate acreages in the MLDP; and 4) Allow MLDP tags to be used on any tract of land within an aggregate acreage enrolled in the Conservation Option of the MLDP.
Link to Proposed Fee for MLDP Permits:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2020/1107/agenda/work_session/index.phtml