The Galveston Bay Estuary Program begins its' revision of the 21 year old Galveston Bay Plan (GBP, officially called a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan) on October 26, 2016, when it holds the first public workshop, 4-6 pm, open house format, at Nessler Civic Center, 290 5th Avenue North, Texas City, Texas 77590. This is the first revision of the GBP since it was approved in 1995.  Several more workshops will be scheduled soon in other parts of the Galveston Bay Watershed. 

The Houston Sierra Club encourages all members to attend this workshop and provide input on how we can have a cleaner and more ecologically intact Galveston Bay. Comments should be sent to Dr. Sarah Bernhardt, Program Manager, TCEQ, 17041 El Camino Real, Suite 210, Houston, Texas 77058-2646 or sarah.bernhardt@tceq.texas.gov.  Use some or all of the following important points in the comments you make at the meeting or which you submit after the meeting:

1) Sea level rise must be addressed including how habitats and water quality will be affected.  The areas most vulnerable to climate change, sea level rise, and shoreline erosion should be identified and mapped on Galveston Bay. 

2) Large proposed projects, like the Ike Dike, must be analyzed and addressed by the GBP so that they are only implemented if all negative impacts can be completely avoided, minimized, and or mitigated.

3) There must be awareness, support, and “political will” to address difficult issues.  We need to take responsibility now.  We are less in need of “innovative ideas” than “political will”.

4) Planned withdrawal for some development on Galveston Bay is needed, wherever possible, especially since climate change causes additional and faster sea level rise, more shoreline erosion, and exposure of developed areas to storm effects.  

5) Geohazard maps must be created and used by local governments to avoid areas vulnerable to geologic hazards.

6) Unlimited population growth and development are not sustainable.  Goals that tell us what the maximum number of people, growth, and development can be without diminishing, degrading, and destroying Galveston Bay ecosystems are needed.

7) All upland watersheds that are connected to Galveston Bay must be covered by the GBP.  

8) Protection of isolated and other sensitive wetlands that are not currently protected is needed.

9) Important habitats and species like beaches, dunes, salt marshes, bottomland forests, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, coastal prairies and their wetlands, Mottled Ducks, Gulf Salt Marsh Snakes, Diamond-back Terrapins, Green Sea Turtles, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, Piping Plovers, and others must be protected and number increased.

10) We must learn to work with coastal erosion/accretion processes and not against them.  We need non-structural methods to stabilize shorelines and we must understand and accept that some shorelines are going to erode no matter what we do.

11) Erosion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) must be stopped and mitigation of the damage caused must be addressed.

12) We need a dedicated fund to buy coastal habitats in Galveston Bay.  

13) Habitat mitigation on Galveston Bay must be done right in perpetuity.  

14) The GBP must be fully funded.  

15) The GBP must recognize and address, via education and public participation, the lack of connection to the environment and the need for a stewardship ethic by people.

16) Better monitoring is needed for Galveston Bay.  

17) We must address freshwater in-stream flows and inflows into Galveston Bay better than we currently do.  

18) We must have more federal, state, local, and private lands that permanently protect parts of Galveston Bay.  

19) The Coastal Barrier Resources Act should be incorporated into the GBP.

20) Non-point source water pollution from roads and other impervious surfaces, like parking lots, must be controlled and their water quality impacts reduced.  

21) The GBP should integrate the Bacteria Implementation Group plan and coordinate with Houston-Galveston Area Council on implementation.  

22) Control of non-native invasive plant/animal species is a key issue.  

23) The GBP should address beach pollution and heavily used recreational area water quality.

24) The GBP should state how significant oyster restoration will be accomplished.

25) The GBP should determine how flood water quality will be addressed for flows that enter Galveston Bay via flood control structures.

26) Water use efficiency must be addressed and related directly to the health of Galveston Bay.

For additional information contact Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962  or brandtshnfbt@juno.com.