Regional Highlights - Upper Coast Issues

Hurricane Rita causes $3.1 million in damages to TPWD facilities (Regions E & U)

Four state parks remain closed as a result of Hurricane Rita damage. Those parks are Sea Rim and Sabine Pass along the upper coast and Village Creek and Martin Dies Jr. in East Texas. TPWD infrastructure staff have completed the damage estimate for all TPWD facilities. It's estimated at $3.1 million, and claims have been submitted to FEMA, which may reimburse the agency for 75% of the repair costs. In the meantime, we'll use general obligation bonds to pay for the necessary repairs, which will defer other needed repairs at TPWD sites. For more information, contact Infrastructure Division Director Steve Whiston at 512-389-4741 or stephen.whiston@tpwd.state.tx.us.

Federal Grant to help restore Galveston Bay rookery island (Region U)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a federal grant to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for a more than $1.2 million project to restore wetlands on North Deer Island, the largest bird rookery island in the Galveston Bay system.

The Texas grant was part of more than $15 million in grants to 12 states to help acquire, restore and protect coastal wetlands for long-term conservation benefits to wildlife and habitat under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

North Deer Island in West Galveston Bay is used each year by up to 30,000 breeding pairs of 19 species of coastal-dependent birds, including more than 1,000 nesting pairs of federally listed brown pelican.

The North Deer Island project will protect and restore over 135 acres of fish and wildlife habitats. In Phase II to be funded by the federal grant, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and project partners, will protect 82 acres of island habitat from erosion and restore eight acres of estuarine marsh.

- read news release "Federal Grant to Restore Galveston Bay Rookery Island" - 01/16/06
- For more information, contact Larry McKinney at 512-389-4636 or larry.mckinney@tpwd.state.tx.us

San Jacinto projects underway (Region U)

Fire safety repairs at the San Jacinto Monument are well underway, thanks to $2.1 million in emergency repair funds approved by the 79th Legislature. The repairs will ensure visitor safety and will allow the tower to the observation deck to be re-opened for visitor access. Access has been suspended since September 2004 when a report commissioned by the San Jacinto Museum History Association recommended additional fire precautions. Those repairs are expected to be completed later this year.

Also on tap for the site: a new visitor center. As directed by the Legislature, TPWD has begun the process for hiring a design consultant for a new center which will orient visitors to the Battleground, the Monunment and the Battleship Texas.

For more information, contact Infrastructure Division Director Steve Whiston at 512-389-4741 or stephen.whiston@tpwd.state.tx.us

Lake Houston State Park transfer propsed (Region U)