MINUTES:  The minutes of the July 16 meeting are on our website on the meeting minutes page.

MEETING:  The next meeting will be on August 20, 2016, at the Galveston Country Club, 14228 Stewart Road , starting at 8:30 AM  for breakfast burritos and the meeting starting at 9:00 AM.

PROGRAM:  We are pleased to have Cherie O’Brien, Coastal Ecologist for Texas Parks & Wildlife, to present the “West Galveston Island Entrance Channel Dredging and Marsh Restoration Project”.  This project is community led incorporating ten West Bay channel communities, about seven miles of project area in the bay.  This project was initiated as a canal dredging project but developed into a project that will improve wildlife habitat, reduce flood and storm damage, provide recreational opportunities for residents, attract visitors to the island, which will in turn improve the economy, and preserve the vital native habitat that is home to numerous species of birds and animals. The project will utilize beneficial use of dredge material to improve eroded coastlines, create marsh, and provide habitat essential for fish species, semi aquatic, and avian wildlife species in Galveston West Bay.  In addition, deepening the channels to the West Bay communities improves recreational and sporting opportunities.

The group met many times and the WGIPOA submitted for engineering funds from the RESTORE Act (Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill) and we should hopefully hear if successful in a few months.  Cherie has been so unbelievable  with the Texas Parks & Wildlife in obtaining funds from federal agencies for various marsh restoration projects on the west end and she has spearheaded this project from the beginning.  So come hear and see all about this special project and please see the agenda for details.

Thank you for your support and we hope to see you on Saturday August 20, 2016, at the Galveston Country Club, starting at8:30 AM for breakfast burritos and the meeting to follow at 9:00 AM.

Jerry Mohn
President