The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the Managed Lands Deer Program (MLD), which includes establishing fees for participation in the program and clarifying existing program provisions.

The proposed fee amendment would establish:

  • a $30 fee for each management unit within a property that is enrolled in the Harvest Option (HO), provided the property is not part of an aggregate acreage enrolled in the MLDP;
  • a $30 fee for each aggregate acreage enrolled in the HO;
  • a $300 fee for the first management unit of each property enrolled in the Conservation Option (CO) plus a $30 fee for each additional management unit of a property enrolled in the CO;
  • a $300 fee for each aggregate acreage enrolled in the CO; and
  • a $30 fee for each management unit of a wildlife management association or cooperative enrolled in the CO.

TPWD White-tailed Deer Program Leader Alan Cain told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network that in 1998 there were about 813 properties and 3.1 million acres enrolled in the MLD program.

In 2019, there are more than 12,000 tracts of land enrolled in MLDP and 28 million acres. He said during that 20-year time period, the department hasn’t hired any new biologists in the field to help address the growth in the program.

“As you can imagine, that presents significant challenges for our wildlife division and our wildlife biologists in the field to be able to provide the level of customer service that we need to provide to those landowners and cooperators that are enrolled in the MLD program,” Cain said. “We have examples of some staff who have in excess of 280 or 290 individual landowners they’re working with, and it’s difficult to see them on any sort of frequent basis.”

TPWD said the fee amounts were selected by the department after soliciting and receiving input from department staff, stakeholder groups and advisory committees.

Those individuals considered what would be a reasonable fee for participation in the MLD program considering the benefits received, the demands on department staff in administering the various options available to landowners under the MLD program and which would not result in significant attrition from the MLD program by landowners.

The proposed regulation changes are available for review in the Dec. 6 edition of the Texas Register.

The public comment period is open through Jan. 23, when the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will meet in Austin to vote on adopting these changes.

Comments on the proposed changes may be submitted via the department’s website or in person during the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting Jan. 23.