Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan Executive Summary – March 2017
TEXAS COASTAL RESILIENCY MASTER PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – MARCH 2017 George P. Bush, Commissioner Texas General Land Office Plan Overview Cover photographs, clockwise from top: Whooping Cranes on the Matagorda Island Unit of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Port of Galveston. View of Seawall Boulevard on Galveston Island. Recreational fishing boat in Port Aransas Ship Channel. b Executive Summary – Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan Texas General Land Office Plan Overview South Padre Island beach access point. Message from the Commissioner As the Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, I am committed to making sure that this state does all it can to protect the people, economy and natural resources of the Texas coast. A region that is vitally important to not just this state, but the entire nation. The Texas coast is home to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the nation’s third busiest inland waterway15, 25 percent of the nation’s refining capacity26, four of the 15 busiest ports in the country23, most of the nation’s strategic petroleum reserves24, numerous strategic military deployment and distribution installations, and a vital tourism industry. This economic activity is supported by beach and dune systems, wetlands and other coastal natural resources that serve as natural barriers to protect against storm surge and coastal flooding. However, 65 percent of the Texas Gulf shoreline is eroding at an average rate George P. Bush, Commissioner, Texas General Land Office of more than 2 feet per year, and in some areas much more rapidly, which is leaving our homes, businesses and the state’s entire coastline vulnerable.22 The Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan (Plan) is an important step to provide a framework for community, economic, ecologic and infrastructure protection from coastal hazards.
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