Texas parks and wildlife department (tpwd) is partnering with the galveston BAY foundation (GBF) to conserve 420 acres of coastal wetland ecosystems in east galveston BAY and construct a mile-long…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) a $3,000,000 Project Grant under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration (CFDA 15.614) program. The grant will support TPWD's partnership with the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) to conserve 420 acres of coastal wetland ecosystems in East Galveston Bay and construct a 1-mile living shoreline. The project will protect salt and brackish marshes, freshwater wetlands, and associated upland habitats adjacent to the Texas Chenier Plain National Wildlife Refuge System, which provide critical habitat for the federally threatened Eastern black rail. GBF will hold a perpetual conservation easement over the property and oversee the living shoreline construction, which will include an offshore breakwater to reduce erosion and allow for wetland re-establishment. This project aligns with national and local coastal conservation priorities and has received significant community support. The grant award period is from October 1, 2024 to August 31, 2026.

Texas parks and wildlife department (tpwd) is partnering with the galveston BAY foundation (GBF) to conserve 420 acres of coastal wetland ecosystems in east galveston BAY and construct a mile-long living shoreline. Galveston BAY, texas largest estuary, has experienced a precipitous decline in coastal wetland acreage over the past 50 years caused by development, subsidence, and sea level rise. This project will conserve salt and brackish marsh, freshwater wetlands, and associated upland habitats adjacent to the texas chenier plain national wildlife refuge system. The target property contains important habitat for the federally threatened eastern black rail. GBF will hold a perpetual conservation easement over the property and oversee living shoreline construction.shoreline erosion poses a problem to coastal ecosystems by removing sediment that supports plant and animal life. Coastal wetlands serve as a buffer to natural erosive forces, but natural processes have been exacerbated by sea level rise, shoreline armoring, and maritime traffic. The east BAY property shoreline lost 500 feet, or 30 acres, in the last 50 years due to erosion. To reduce erosive forces and protect coastal wetlands, the project will construct an offshore breakwater to create a living shoreline. Living shorelines are nature-based solutions that reduce erosion while protecting ecosystem function. The breakwater will create a calm-water environment along the shoreline where wave energy is reduced, allowing sediments to accrete and estuarine wetlands to RE-establish. This project fulfills a priority action for national and local conservation plans, including the east BAY conservation initiative, and has received significant community support. IT adds to conservation successes along the north shoreline of east galveston BAY, including moody and anahuac national wildlife refuges as well as candy cain abshier wildlife management area