Business

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week announced a new annual survey of farmers, ranchers, and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

HAPPY—Happy Bancshares, Inc., a Texas corporation and holding company of Happy State Bank, announced the closing of its $140 million private placement of subordinated notes. “We are happy to announce the successful completion of our subordinated debt offering,” said J.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar this week said state sales tax revenue totaled $2.98 billion in July, 4.3 percent more than in July 2019. The majority of July sales tax revenue is based on sales made in June and remitted to the agency in July.

AUSTIN—The Railroad Commission continues to make positive strides with its Underground Injection Control program, ensuring the protection of underground sources of drinking water and the control of seismic activity, according to a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Significant wildfire activity has increased statewide, and accelerated drying has elevated the potential for new wildfire ignitions. New wildfires will become increasingly difficult to extinguish if current temperatures and drying conditions persist into August as forecasted, according to Texas A&M Forest Service experts.

WASHINGTON—Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 10 Texas counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Carson, Gaines, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Roberts, Sherman, Terry, and Yoakum counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

AUSTIN—The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has extended the deadline to this Friday, July 17 for nominations of potential members of Texas’ first-ever regional flood-planning groups. The 15 regional planning groups, formed around river basin boundaries, will require 12 representatives of specific-interest categories, including agriculture, industries, river authorities, counties, municipalities, water districts, flood districts, electric-generating utilities, water utilities, environmental interests, small businesses, and the public. The planning groups will develop regional flood plans by January 2023, which will culminate in the inaugural state flood plan in 2024. Interested candidates can fill out a nomination form available on the TWDB website. The planning group will be named by early fall.

AUSTIN––The Texas Railroad Commission issued a total of 312 original drilling permits in June 2020, compared to 1,001 in June 2019. The June 2020 total includes 262 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, three to reenter plugged well bores, and 21 for recompletions of existing well bores. The breakdown of well types for those drilling permits is 72 oil, 24 gas, 187 oil or gas, 24 injection, and five other permits.

COLLEGE STATION—Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation– Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through Aug. 15. The grant will provide $81,000 in total funding for prescribed burns.

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing additional flexibilities for producers to file on acres with failed crops or crops that were prevented from planting because of extreme weather events. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is adding these flexibilities for notice of loss on both insured and uninsured crops to enable service centers to best assist producers.