Ag Valuation and Wildlife Management in Jones County

Texas taxes many rural properties on their productive value — what the land earns — rather than its market value. This is called an agricultural (ag) valuation or 1-D-1 appraisal. In Jones County, the Jones County Appraisal District approves these applications. The land must be actively used for farming, ranching, or timber production.

If your land already qualifies for ag valuation, you can switch to a wildlife management valuation instead. That means you manage the land for native wildlife — things like habitat control, predator control, or census counts — instead of running crops or cattle. You need to pick at least three qualifying practices and file a management plan with the appraisal district by the annual deadline — check with jonescad.org for the current filing date. Forms are on the jonescad.org website. Texas Parks and Wildlife has guidance on what qualifies.