Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc.

Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Corpus Christi, Texas, is a federal grant recipient that performs habitat restoration, water quality management, invasive species removal, and environmental education across the Texas Coastal Bend estuary, operating exclusively as a prime recipient on 65 of 77 awards (84%) with a 16% footprint as a sub-recipient.

The organization's federal customer base concentrates heavily on resource-management agencies. The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 anchors the portfolio with 25 awards, followed by the Environmental Protection Agency (14 awards) and EPA Region 6 (14 awards), the Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (9 awards), and the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (7 awards); these five agencies account for 90% of recent awards. CBBEP competes exclusively under federal grant programs — principally the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456), the Coastal Program (CFDA 15.630), and the Soil and Water Conservation program (CFDA 10.902) — rather than federal contracts.

Recent prime-recipient work includes a $909.8 million National Estuary Program project grant from EPA Region 6 (awarded November 2025, completing October 2029) supporting Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act implementation through five projects: boardwalk and roadway improvements at an Airport Kayak Launch Site in Aransas County, master planning and engineering for a 6-acre wetland park in Port Aransas, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant accessibility enhancements at Nueces Delta Preserve, wildlife viewing blind installation at Aransas Woods, and unified signage development across Aransas First properties. A $190,000 Coastal Program cooperative agreement from DOI Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 (effective October 2025, completing September 2030) funds habitat restoration across approximately 1,230 acres — invasive species removal and coastal prairie restoration at Fennessey Ranch, waterbird habitat management on rookery islands, and estuarine circulation enhancement in Welder Flats. A $1.7 million National Estuary Program grant from EPA Region 6 (September 2025 through February 2027) supports water quality and habitat assessments and Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan coordination, with specific deliverables including coastal bird population restoration (Project #2601) and K-12 educational field trips (Project #2602).

CBBEP's capability portfolio centers on ecosystem management and restoration: colonial waterbird nesting site protection and habitat enhancement, invasive species control (particularly Brazilian peppertree on barrier islands), trail and boardwalk construction with accessibility compliance, shoreline protection design and installation, oyster reef restoration, water quality monitoring, stormwater management, septic system remediation in underserved communities, harmful algal bloom monitoring, and public education and outreach. The organization coordinates multi-partner implementations involving state agencies (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality), universities (University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), and conservation nonprofits (American Bird Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy).

Activity shows growth from 2022 to 2024 (three to ten awards per year) with a recent decline to seven awards in 2025 and one in 2026 year-to-date. Five awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting a recompete window. CBBEP holds no federal contract vehicles and does not compete for federal contract work; its revenue footprint derives exclusively from grants and cooperative agreements administered by environmental and natural-resource agencies.