Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826, l-redmon@tamu.edu
Dr. Rick Machen, 830-278-9151, r-machen@tamu.edu
KERRVILLE – An extensive educational program on managing natural resources and wildlife is set for April 23-24 at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville.
The conference, which will begin on April 23 with a 7:30 a.m. registration, is funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Most landowners will benefit from the discussions on estate planning, elder law, water, land tax valuation and wildlife at the Bennett Land Stewardship Conference, said Dr. Larry Redmon, Bennett Trust AgriLife Extension specialist, College Station.
Cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Register by going to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/BennettTrust or by calling 979-845-2604. Room reservations can be made at http://bit.ly/1EsSQsQ.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture general continuing education units will be offered for private pesticide applicators.
Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist from Uvalde, said the event offers something for everyone.
Some of the topics and speakers for the first day are:
– Hang On to Your Property – Elder Law and Estate Planning, Marilyn Miller, attorney, Dripping Springs.
– Aquifer Recharge and Spring Flow, Dr. Ron Green, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio.
– Two concurrent sessions: 1) Drought, Urban Sprawl and Concrete/Asphalt Domination, Municipal Water Use of Water Resources and Rainwater Harvesting with Billy Kniffen, retired AgriLife Extension state water resource specialist from Menard; and 2) Juniper, Herbivore‐Forage Interaction, Stocking Rate and Infiltration versus Runoff in the Edwards Plateau with Dr. Bob Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist in Uvalde.
– What Are My Options for 1‐D‐1 Tax Valuation and Implications for Lease Agreements?, Dr. Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo.
– Animal Options for the Edwards Plateau: What Species Mix is Best for Me?, Machen.
– Rainfall Insurance, Dr. Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist, Stephenville.
Day two of the conference provides behind-the-scenes tours, including a Natural Resource Stewardship tour on the historic Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County; an agritourism tour of sustainable vineyards, orchards and gardens in Fredericksburg and Gillespie County; and a wildlife management and hunting industry tour on the Edwards Plateau visiting landowners who have reputations for being good stewards of their wildlife resources.
For more information regarding the upcoming Bennett Trust Land Stewardship program, contact Redmon at l-redmon@tamu.edu, Machen at r-machen@tamu.edu, or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region.
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