Business

The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting two “Well-Informed” water well screening events on Nov. 15 in White Deer and Nov. 17 in Hereford, and a “Well-Educated” event on Nov. 16 in Canadian.

WASHINGTON— Agricultural producers can now change election and enroll in the agriculture risk coverage (ARC) and price-loss coverage (PLC) programs for the 2023 crop year, two key safety-net programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Signup began Monday, and producers have until March 15, 2023, to enroll in these two programs. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has started issuing payments totaling more than $255 million to producers with 2021 crops that have triggered payments through ARC or PLC.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week the allocation of $1.06 billion in local sales taxes for October, 17.4 percent more than in October 2021. Checks will go to cities, counties, transit systems, and special-purpose districts in Texas.

TEMPLE—The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) recently received a grant of $3,992,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant will support TSSWCB’s Texas Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Program, which addresses water pollution caused by water runoff that carries pollutants into rivers, lakes, and other waterbodies.

Texas RRC reports Sept. ‘22 drilling permit and completion stats AUSTIN—The Texas Railroad Commission issued a total of 984 original drilling permits in September 2022 compared to 801 in September 2021.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is accepting comments on a proposal that would allow the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called drones, to locate feral hogs at night for hunters on the ground.

Mike Carter, director of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture in Lafayette, Colorado, will highlight a panel of speakers at the Stewarding Our Aquifer Field Day presented by Ogallala Commons (www. ogallalacommons.org) on Thursday, October 13.

TEMPLE—The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas announced fiscal year 2023 financial assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program–Conservation Incentives Contract Program (EQIP-CIC), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). While NRCS accepts applications for these programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply by the state-specific application “due by” dates to be considered for fiscal year’s funding.

TXOGA announces hiring new director of communications AUSTIN—The Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) today announced the hiring of Stephen Chang as director of communications following the departure of Lauren Clay. Todd Staples, president of TXOGA, issued the following statement: “Oil and natural gas fuel modern life, and the industry plays an indispensable role in delivering affordable and reliable energy that consumers depend on every day.

As happens every August, the USDA released its Land Values Summary Report for 2022. Not surprisingly, the report indicates increasing values nationwide over the past year. For “farm real estate value,” which takes into account the value of all land and buildings on farms, the U.S. average value was $3,800, a 12 percent increase from last year. For cropland, the nationwide average value increased 14 percent to $5,050/acre. For pastureland, the nationwide average value was $1,650/acre, up 11.5 percent from last year.