Reply #5: I have similar questions. My take on it is that it's an incentive

[Dover]

similar to the "wildlife management" program to reward water conservation measures. It apparently helps land owners who are/were forced out of their previous ag activities due to drought, to maintain their ag status by participating in water conservation measures. When cattlemen wanted out of their cattle businesses often
due to its declining value, they didn't know how to use their large parcels of land or keep their ag status. So wildlife management allowed many to change over to deer
management/hunting and other things under the wildlife management program. So the way I see it is that on the one hand it's a law to benefit large land owners,
but the new programs are environmentally friendly (cattle, for instance, were hard on the environment) so the environmentalists get behind it too...supposedly a win/win. The only complaints of that wildlife management program that I'm aware of was from the counties who were angry about lost tax revenues from potential development and conversion of ag land into residential and commercial status.


Here are a couple of links that might be helpful:

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Texas_Water-Stewardship_Tax_Amendment,_Proposition_8_(2011)

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20111009-editorial-proposition-8-would-help-texas-conserve-water.ece


Here is what opponents are saying:

Opponents of the bill say the proposed changes are redundant because they duplicate already available tax incentives for erosion control and habitat stewardship.<1>
We Texans, a limited-government and economic freedom advocacy organization, opposes Proposition 8. In an October 19, 2011 post they explained their reasoning: "The proposal would ultimately require the Parks and Wildlife Department to set standards for determining whether land qualified for appraisal based on water stewardship. This amendment only serves to further complicate the property appraisal and exemptions process currently in place in Texas. The proposal thwarts justice and shifts the burden of the cost of local government to the shoulders of others in the community."<10>
Texas Eagle Forum, a conservative and pro-family advocacy organization, opposes Proposition 8. In an October 7th, 2011 post they explained their reasoning: "This amendment was promoted by the radical environmental group Nature Conservancy. These environmentalists want to take away water rights from private property owners. Any landowner willing to take this new exemption will soon have the state dictating how their water is managed."<11>