A Beginner's Handbook for Rural Texas Landowners

Book excerpt: WHAT RURAL TEXAS LANDOWNERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR LAND... Living in the country in Texas can be the most enjoyable experience of your life, but managing rural property is not the same as taking care of a half-acre suburban lot. Living in the country and taking care of the land involves issues many new landowners have not experienced before. This book discusses why it is so important that rural land in Texas be well-managed and the native flora and fauna be protected. We are making more Texans every day, but we aren't making any more land or water, so every bit is precious. This point is emphasized using the philosophy and ethics of the great naturalist and conservationist, Aldo Leopold. The major problems encountered by small-acreage landowners include overgrazing, past or present by livestock and exotic ungulates, overbrowsing by deer, goats and exotics, brush encroachment, invasive exotic plants and animals, erosion, and efficient water catchment and management. Each of these issues is discussed in some detail explaining the source of the problem and how to avoid or minimize it. Numerous other issues encountered in living in the country are discussed as well as where landowners can find more detailed advice and information to help them with land management issues. My goal is to help small landowners enjoy their property and to also help them be good stewards of their land.