APPLICATION DENIAL BASED ON ZONE LOCATION

(a) Before a chief appraiser may deny an application under Section 23.9805 on the ground that the land is not located in an aesthetic management zone, critical wildlife habitat zone, or streamside management zone, the chief appraiser must first request a determination letter from the director of the Texas Forest Service as to the type, location, and size of the zone, if any, in which the land is located. (b) The chief appraiser shall notify the landowner and each taxing unit in which the land is located that a determination letter has been requested. (c) The director's letter is conclusive as to the type, size, and location of the zone for purposes of appraisal of the land under this subchapter. (d) If the land is located in a zone described in the determination letter, the chief appraiser shall approve the application and allow appraisal under this subchapter if the applicant is otherwise entitled to have the applicant's land appraised under this subchapter. (e) The director of the Texas Forest Service by rule shall adopt procedures under this section. The procedures must allow the chief appraiser, the landowner, and a representative of each taxing unit in which the land is located to present information to the director before the director issues the determination letter. (f) Chapters 41 and 42 do not apply to a determination under this section by the director of the Texas Forest Service of the type, size, and location of a zone.