Wildlife Management Plan for Martin County, Texas

Martin County's 915 square miles contain 17,325 documented oil and gas wells alongside short-grass prairie and playa lake systems, creating a landscape where industrial infrastructure and ecological management coexist at close range. Buffalo grass, blue grama, and sideoats grama once covered millions of acres, grazed by bison and pronghorn. The intersection of 3 ecoregions creates a convergence zone where species from multiple regions overlap. This ecological complexity means no single management template applies countywide.

Wildlife management on the High Plains centers on playa lake conservation, CRP grassland management, and rangeland restoration. Playa lakes are the primary recharge mechanism for the Ogallala Aquifer and the single most important wildlife habitat feature in the region. Protecting playas from sedimentation caused by tillage on surrounding cropland, maintaining native grass buffers around playa margins, and managing water levels through careful grazing are essential practices. On CRP contracts converting to wildlife management valuation, landowners should maintain the established grass cover, introduce prescribed fire or patch burning to create structural diversity, and install wildlife-friendly fencing that allows pronghorn passage. Mesquite and prickly pear encroachment on native rangeland requires periodic mechanical treatment followed by targeted herbicide application.