Business

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved LPC Conservation LLC’s habitat conservation plan (HCP) and associated incidental take permit. The HCP is designed to minimize and offset impacts to the lesser prairiechicken from renewable energy development in the Great Plains.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is now accepting applications for fiscal year 2022 agricultural water-conservation grants. Applications are due to the TWDB no later than Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 2 pm.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that he would send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $936 million in local sales tax allocations for December, 18.4 percent more than in December 2020. These allocations are based on sales made in October by businesses that report tax monthly.

USDA NRCS sets Agricultural Conservation Easement Program funding date TEMPLE—USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Texas is accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). While NRCS accepts easement applications on a continuous basis, applications for the next funding consideration must be submitted by Dec.

HEMPHILL COUNTY—Hemphill County U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Program Technician in Charge Janee Cross reminds livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought that occurred throughout 2021 to report their losses timely and to enroll in the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) by Jan. 30, 2021.

AUSTIN—This week, Railroad Commission of Texas commissioners adopted rules for critical designation of natural gas infrastructure to help protect Texans in energy emergencies. The new rules implement provisions in House Bill 3648 and Senate Bill 3 and define natural gas facilities that would be designated as critical gas suppliers and critical customers.

An Estate Planning Workshop will be held on Dec. 14 by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Randall County. The free program will be from 9 am to 12:30 pm at the Kuhlman Extension Center, 200 N. Brown Road, Canyon. The event will conclude with lunch courtesy of Happy State Bank.

CANADIAN—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started mailing ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the Hemphill County FSA office or postmarked by Dec. 6.

DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and RecruitMilitary® will co-host a Virtual Veterans Job Fair, Nov. 23 from 11 am to 3 pm. The event is free to veterans, their spouses, active-duty military personnel and members of the National Guard and Reserve. In a time of great uncertainty, especially among our nation’s workforce, DAV and RecruitMilitary® are committed to positioning veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, their spouses and partnering companies for success. Employers who are actively seeking the unique talents of America’s veterans will be representing a range of industries, from construction to medical to administrative and logistics, with career opportunities from entry level to senior management. To register for the Virtual Veterans Job Fair and access additional no-cost resources for veterans and their families, go to jobs.dav.org.

EDGEFIELD, S.C.—The National Wild Turkey Federation announces a new landscapescale initiative addressing critically urgent conservation needs in riparian ecosystems throughout its America’s ‘Big Six’ of wildlife conservation regions.