Mark Hilliard is an art professor from Plainview who also manages a 400-acre family farm. There he grows corn, cotton, wheat, and milo, and runs some stocker cattle. He also has a 76-acre playa surrounded by grass. “The nice thing about this playa is it’s never been plowed, it’s never had a big nasty tailwater pit dug in it. It’s real simple on the dirt work. It’s not been abused.”
Several years ago, Mark enrolled his playa in a Wetland Conservation Easement. “Putting it in an easement was a really easy decision on my part, even though I lost my cattle income off it ($100 a month cattle rent). By the time I pump the water and keep the electric fence hot, I’m not making any money. So it was time to do something different. There’s still opportunities to generate income through ecotourism, pheasant hunting and things of that nature.”
For landowners who are interested in restoring or protecting their playas, Mark recommends talking to a conservation partner: “Get an evaluation of the property, and see what needs to be done.”