Wildlife Management Annual Report

A wildlife management plan is a document with information about your property, as well as suggested ideas for future wildlife management activities. It is something for the landowner to look back on and follow as they manage their property. An annual report is tangible proof for the Central Appraisal District (CAD) to show that you are following through with your wildlife management plan. The annual report typically consists of supplemental documentation, such as photos, log sheets, receipts, maps, etc…

Unfortunately, no. Annual reports are specific to what activities were completed during the year, whereas a plan is more like a list of ideas. However, we can go through your plan and specify the questions that will need to be answered for the activities that were conducted on your property.

Any wildlife management activities completed January 1st through December 31st of the year you are reporting.

Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) 1-d-1 Open Space Agricultural Valuation – Wildlife Management Annual Report Form and supporting documentation (Photos, log sheets, receipts, maps, etc.). The TPWD form is essentially a summary of the activities the landowner (and/or Plateau) conducted on the property.

More and more Central Appraisal Districts (CADs) are requesting an annual report. It may be the ONLY evidence they look at to determine whether or not you are meeting the requirements of a wildlife management tax valuation. Use your annual report to showcase your efforts to the CAD. Let them know that you are doing what is expected and that there is no reason for them to think otherwise. The better the picture you paint with your annual report, the less likely you are to ever hear from the CAD. Also, CADs can ask for annual reports up to 5 years back, so it’s best to do one every year.

Some counties ask for them, but some do not. Those that don’t may have the requirement buried in their Ag Intensity Standards, several pages deep in a long document that you may never see. So we advise landowners not to wait for a notice, but instead, to just do an annual report each year and submit it to the CAD. When you choose Plateau to prepare your annual report, we get to worry about what’s required, what’s not, and when, so that you don’t have to.

Central Appraisal Districts (CADs) can ask for annual reports up to 5 years back, so it’s best to do one every year. If the CAD does request annual reports from previous years, and you’ve never done one or maybe you skipped a year, you may find yourself scrambling to find and/or recreate old records. Whether your CAD asks for a report or not, having one on file can give you peace of mind and prevent future headaches.

The documentation should cover the who, what, when, where, and how of the activities. Documentation to explain these should include: log sheets, dates, receipts, harvest records, photos, maps, etc…. The appraisal districts will not accept an annual report without documentation. Copies of sample log sheets can be found here.

Yes. We request photos each year because Central Appraisal Districts like to see that you are truly conducting/monitoring your wildlife management activities each year.

Of course! We will file your documentation until it is time to complete your report. This always makes finishing your annual report much easier as the deadline approaches. We leverage technology to make the annual report process as simple as possible. You can send documentation by mail, email, fax, stopping by the office or Dropbox. If you would like to submit your documentation using Dropbox, please let us know and a folder can be set up to receive your documentation (a Dropbox account is not required for you to take advantage of this service).

An electronic copy of the report sent to you for your records, mail/track/confirmation of your annual report to your CAD(s), monthly documentation reminder emails, and peace of mind knowing that a Plateau biologist is checking your report for all requirements and will alert you of any shortcomings.

Most deadlines are stated in the request letter from your appraisal district. Typically, annual reports are due between January 1st and April 30th of the following year. However, some deadlines occur before the end of the year and some counties do not request every year. You can rest assured that Plateau contacts each CAD individually to discuss deadlines and will get your report submitted on time.

Plateau completes 800+ Annual Reports in 80+ Texas counties every year. Our dedicated team of biologists and wildlife professionals have worked on annual reports for over 15 years. Over the years, we’ve perfected a professional system that works. In our meticulous review of your annual report, we work diligently to catch any mistakes in your documentation and notify you if we feel that you may be in jeopardy of not meeting the minimum wildlife management valuation requirements. You can rest assured that before your annual report enters the hands of a Central Appraisal District representative for review, it’s already been through many more reviews by our team.

We have a great reputation with the CADs. We’ve been working with them for two decades; they know us personally, they respect our work, and we know what they expect. It doesn’t hurt to have the Plateau name behind you when it comes to matters this important! We’ll send you periodic reminders throughout the year to make sure you’re keeping up with the documentation of your wildlife management activities. You can also send us documentation at any time – we’ll keep it on file and organized so that you don’t have to!