Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Galveston County
Galveston County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 6, 2026
Report rules not posted; call to confirm
Galveston Central Appraisal District doesn’t post its wildlife annual report rules online, so plan on April 30 and call the district to confirm at (409) 935-1980.
| Annual report required? | Not posted; ask the district |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
What to keep for Galveston County
Whether or not Galveston County asks for a report this year, keep dated proof that you carried out at least three of the seven wildlife management practices in your plan:
- A log of each activity: the date, what you did, where and how much
- Dated photos of the work (feeders, water, brush piles, cleared brush)
- Receipts and invoices for feed, seed, materials and contractors
- Census sheets with dates, routes and numbers seen
Read our plain-English guide to the annual report (PWD-888) for the full 3-of-7 rule, or see deadlines for other counties.
Ag valuation in Galveston County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Galveston Central Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation.
Every grazing operation needs at least 5 animal units. Cattle and horses: 1 animal unit per 3 acres on improved pasture (15 acres) or per 4 acres on native pasture (20 acres). Goats and sheep: 1 animal unit per 1.5 acres improved (7.5 acres) or per 2 acres native (10 acres).
| Minimum acres | 7.5 acres (grazing) |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | 5 animal units |
| Improved pasture | 1.5–3 acres per animal unit |
| Native pasture | 2–4 acres per animal unit |
| Hay | Hay needs 10 acres with 2–3 cuttings a year (about 30–45 rounds per acre over 5 years). |
| Crops and orchards | Rice, soybeans, corn, grain sorghum, and pecan or fruit orchards each need 10 acres; floriculture, horticulture and truck farming 5 acres; turf grass 10 acres; ratites 3 acres. |
| Beekeeping | 5–20 acres: 6 colonies on 5 acres, plus 1 colony per additional 2.5 acres, up to 12 colonies at 20 acres. |
| History and filing | Land outside city limits needs ag use 5 of the last 7 years; inside city limits, 5 consecutive years. File by April 30 (May 1 deadline). Proof can include Schedule F, a lease or affidavit with legal description, and livestock auction or sale receipts; hay needs mowing/baling bills and seed or fertilizer receipts. |
| Source | Degree of Intensity Chart 2026 (Galveston CAD) · checked Nov. 6, 2026 |
An animal unit is one cow (or cow-calf pair); a horse counts as one, and about five goats or sheep make one, though some districts count them differently. See what Texas requires for ag valuation. Your appraisal district has the final say, so call them if anything here doesn’t match your letter.
Who to contact in Galveston County
| Appraisal district | Galveston Central Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 9850 Emmett F. Lowry Expwy, Suite A, Texas City, TX 77591 |
| Phone | (409) 935-1980 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Galveston County |
The appraisal district decides your wildlife valuation and sets any report deadline, so call them if a letter or form doesn’t match what’s on this page. Your county AgriLife Extension office can help with a wildlife management plan.