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What is its future? Man has abused and polluted, but now has a brighter future. It has been accepted into MARPOL to stop ocean dumping. Today dumping is being monitored by the Center for Marine Conservation to identify the source. This change will ensure a healthy ecosystem for marine life and birds to flourish. Offshore oil rigs provide an "island of life for fish and plants". Twenty eight species of whales and dolphins are now known to exist in our Gulf. What is its value? It is home to 65% of our nation's petrochemical industry. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway moves cargo worth billions of dollars annually. The Texas Birding Trail brings millions of tourists to our wetlands and shoreline, the fastest growing segment of our state's travel history. What can be lost and what is its value? Continued severe erosion and an inevitable storm pose a giant threat to its future and to SH87, the only evacuation route for the Bolivar Peninsula. This perilous situation endangers our lives, the waterways, wetlands, birding sanctuaries, and economic growth on the peninsula, WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENTAL RESPONSE TO ASSIST. Urgent attention to the Upper Texas Coast and its perilous situation is mandatory, before it is too late. WHAT CAN WE DO? East Texas rivers have been dammed, blocking silt, which replenishes our beaches, from flowing into the Gulf. The 3 mile Sabine Pass Jetty stops east to west littoral currents from washing silt upon our shore. We need to bypass silt through dams and jetties, as Florida does, and pump known offshore sand deposits onto our beach. VEGETATION is our most valuable weapon to combat erosion. It traps blowing sand to build dunes, our fragile seawall, and elevates the beach for protection from high tides and storm surges. STAY OFF dunes and upper beach vegetation. VEGETATED DUNES ARE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC BEACH. Vehicles and footprints cause disaster. Erect elevated walkways over dunes to protect vegetation. Raise walkways when dunes have grown higher. Foot paths cause a gap in the dune line that could cause a washout during a storm. Plant gaps with natural vegetation. STOP Galveston County's beach cleaning method, which scrapes the beach, pushes sand and debris onto the dunes, destroying all vegetation in its path, and removes natural objects which trap sand to build our dunes. LEGISLATION - Our coast has no incorporated area to pass an ordinance for its protection, and counties cannot pass an ordinance. We must strive to have legislation enacted to delegate to coastal counties the power to pass ordinances for the safety of citizens and enhancement of our beach. 1955
Money down the drain, without one step taken to find a Solution to protect SH87 and lives, homes and future of Texans. The amount of tax money spent on the pass for the past 43 years must be staggering. Severe erosion of SH87 and the upper Texas coast continues, WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENT RESPONSE. Severe erosion of our Upper Texas Coast is a major threat of disaster to SH87, our only evacuation route off the Bolivar Peninsula to safety. This perilous situation endangers our lives. Wetlands, intracoastal waterway, wildlife, future economic growth, and results in loss of tax dollars. An inevitable storm will wash it all away. Urgent attention to the upper Texas Coast and SH87 is imperative and a solution to Rollover Pass must be found before is is too late. Produced by:
Texas Dept. of Transportation 125 E. 11th Street Austin, Texas 78701 2483 Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough
US. Rep. Nick Lampson
Texas Governor, Congressmen, & Legislators
Economic Value of Gulf of Mexico
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