Photos courtesy of The Galveston Bay Estuary Program
The Galveston Bay Estuary Program has set October 2016 for the first public workshop for revision of the 21 year old Galveston Bay Plan (GBP, officially called a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan). This is the first revision of the GBP since it was approved in 1995.
The creation of the GBP began in the mid to late 1980's when many people were concerned about the condition of Galveston Bay and major projects, like the Wallisville Dam Project and the deepening to 45 feet of the Houston Ship Channel, that would affect its health and productivity.
People rallied around a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program, under the Clean Water Act, that allowed for EPA designation of National Estuary Programs. The focus of National Estuary Programs is the protection and restoration of our nation's estuaries.
An estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water where fresh and salt water meet and mix. Galveston Bay is a 31 mile by 17 mile estuary, the largest and most productive in Texas. Galveston Bay is noted for its shrimp, oyster, and finfish (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, etc.), large expanses of marshes and other wetlands, shipping, tourism, and recreational activities.
The effort to create a program and plan to protect and restore Galveston Bay took five years. In 1995, EPA approved the program and plan for Galveston Bay and since that time the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Galveston Bay Council (advisory stakeholder group), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Galveston Bay Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and many other agencies, groups, and public citizens have worked to implement the GBP.
It is time to re-look at what has been done, what has not been done, and the progress we have made. We must make some changes and move forward with protection and restoration of Galveston Bay. The timing is critical since in the next 35 years population projections are for 4-5 million more people to move into the Houston Area. Galveston Bay needs the help of all Sierrans and people who love Galveston Bay to ensure that protection and restoration of Galveston Bay continues. The tentative timeline for the GBP revision process is:
1. First Workshop, October 2016, prioritization of goals, objectives, and action plans
2. Second Workshop, January 2017, present Framework and Outline
3. Third Workshop, June 2017, Draft Plan
4. Public Comment Period, June through August 2017
5. Final GBP, October 2017
6. Galveston Bay Council approval meeting, October 2017
7. TCEQ approval, January 2018
8. Submission to EPA, March 2018
As the October 2016 First Workshop approaches the Houston Sierra Club will have additional information about the date, time, and place of this meeting on our website and Meet-up site. Please contact either Brandt Mannchen (brandtshnfbt@juno.com, 713-664-5962) or Evelyn Merz (elmerz@hal-pc.org, 713-644-8228) about Houston Sierra Club suggested comments.
For more information about the GBP process contact Sarah Bernhardt, GBP Program Manager, sarah.bernhardt@tceq.texas.gov or call 281-218-6461.
Brandt Mannchen
August 9, 2016