LUBBOCK, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced that it will join with the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University and the Texas Wildlife Association to host the first Panhandle Wildlife Conference since the 1990s in October.

According to the announcement, the conference will be held on Oct. 20-21 at Texas Tech University’s National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, and “explore the diverse landscape and wildlife of the Texas Panhandle, a region rich in both history and natural resources.”

“This conference was designed with the Texas Panhandle landowners and land managers in mind,” said Brad Simpson, TPWD Panhandle District Leader. “We wanted to showcase not only what is going on in the Panhandle but also provide land managers the opportunity to see and hear up-to-date information on a variety of topics.”

Organizers said that the topics covered will include the perspectives of landowners, current management strategies, technical assistance programs and chronic wasting disease. There will also be information focused on quail, deer, pronghorn, migratory birds, water conservation and rare species. Biologists from the state, federal, and non-governmental agencies and universities will also be present to network with landowners and hunters.

“We are excited to be able to share some of this information with Panhandle landowners and land managers,” said Simpson. “There is something for everyone.”

Organizers said that registration information for the event can be found on the conference website, as well as a conference agenda.

This event comes as a highlight to the Panhandle-Plains region and its unique wildlife and geography. Settled amid the Llano Estacado (or “Staked Plains”) region of the US, the Texas Panhandle is part of one of the largest mesas on the North American continent and home to its highest density of playa lakes. As previously reported on MyHighPlains.com, these lakes, while commonly at risk from industrial and agricultural development, are “refueling points” for an extensive number of cranes, waterfowl, and shorebirds. They also serve as recharging points for the Ogallala Aquifer system, which supplies much of the water for habitats and communities across the High Plains.