Public Meeting: Coastal Texas Protection And Restoration Reconnaissance Study

GALVESTON, Texas, July 30 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District issued the following news release:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District is seeking representatives from federal, state and local governments and agencies, Indian tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, business and industry and individuals interested in participating in public workshops for the purpose of gathering ideas for addressing coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration in the coastal Texas region. This outreach effort is being conducted in conjunction with the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Reconnaissance Study. We are interested in identifying available information and data that may be useful for this study.

Alternatives that may be considered during the next study phase could include structural solutions such as seawalls, levees, groins and beach nourishment; non-structural solutions such as buy-outs and flood proofing; and nature-based solutions such as preservation or restoration of marshes, dunes, barrier islands and oyster reefs. These workshops will also be considered scoping meetings, in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, in anticipation that an Environmental Impact Statement will be required in the next phase of study.

The workshops will take place from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the following dates and locations:

Aug. 11, 2014Port of Palacios

Port Administration Building

1602 Main Street

Palacios, TX 77465

Aug. 12, 2014Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

Harte Research Institute Building, Room 127

6300 Ocean Drive

Corpus Christi, TX 78412

Aug. 13, 2014Hilton Garden Inn - South Padre Island

Great White Room

7010 Padre Boulevard

South Padre Island, TX 78597

Aug. 27, 2014Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center

400 West Walker Street

League City, TX 77573

Those interested in participating in the workshops or in providing written comments are encouraged to consider the following questions:

-How is your community (or agency/organization) most vulnerable to coastal storm risk?

-What strategies should be implemented to reduce the risk from coastal storms?

-What ecosystem restoration projects are most needed, or could be implemented to improve coastal resilience?

For additional information please contact Janelle Stokes at the address below or call 409-766-3039. If you would like to be added to the email list for this study, please send your request to Janelle.S.Stokes@usace.army.mil. Comments or questions may be mailed to:

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS GALVESTON DISTRICT

ATTENTION: COASTAL TEXAS, CESWF-PEC-PF

P.O. BOX 1229, GALVESTON, TX 77553-1229

For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.

TNS 30FurigayJane-140731-4814444 30FurigayJane