In accordance with The Galveston Bay Plan (The Plan), a coordinating body, The Galveston Bay Council (GBC) was created and appointed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) in November 1995. The Galveston Bay Council continues the work of the Management Conference convened for The Plan’s creation.

This Council is charged to:

• Provide an ongoing forum for technical and stakeholder review and involvement during implementation of The Plan.
• Contribute to assessments of The Plan’s effectiveness and participate in periodic redirection of The Plan’s initiatives.
• Advise the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during consistency reviews of eligible federal projects.
• Maintain agency commitments to implement The Plan; assure efficient cross-jurisdictional coordination and, if necessary, facilitate resolution of disputes.
• Set annual priorities for the implementation of action plans.
• Represent various stakeholder groups.

For more information on the Galveston Bay Council, please email Lisa Marshall (lisa.marshall@tceq.texas.gov).

Membership is composed of the Chairs of the five standing Council subcommittees, the former Council Chairs, the present Council Chair and Vice Chair, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality representatives on the Council. The B&P subcommittee meets on an as needed basis. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Provide a forum for coordination among subcommittees to discuss projects and policies crossing issue areas.
• Provide a forum for discussing subcommittee organizational, procedural, and functional activities.
• Recommend annual and/or biennial goals to the Estuary Program and the Council.
• Make recommendations to the Council Chair and the Estuary Program Director regarding issues to be brought before Council, including presentations, roundtable discussions, or issues for Council comment.
• Oversee drafting of Council comments on issues potentially impacting The Plan’s implementation.
• Provide nominations for Council vacancies.
• Provide review of federal projects for consistency with The Plan.

For more information on the Budget and Priorities Subcommittee, please email Lisa Marshall (lisa.marshall@tceq.texas.gov).

Membership is composed of the Chairs of the five standing Council subcommittees, the former Council Chairs, the present Council Chair and Vice Chair, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality representatives on the Council. The B&P subcommittee meets on an as needed basis. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Provide a forum for coordination among subcommittees to discuss projects and policies crossing issue areas.
• Provide a forum for discussing subcommittee organizational, procedural, and functional activities.
• Recommend annual and/or biennial goals to the Estuary Program and the Council.
• Make recommendations to the Council Chair and the Estuary Program Director regarding issues to be brought before Council, including presentations, roundtable discussions, or issues for Council comment.
• Oversee drafting of Council comments on issues potentially impacting The Plan’s implementation.
• Provide nominations for Council vacancies.
• Provide review of federal projects for consistency with The Plan.

For more information on the Budget and Priorities Subcommittee, please email Lisa Marshall (lisa.marshall@tceq.texas.gov).

The purpose of the M&R subcommittee is to advise the Council and the Estuary Program staff on matters pertaining to monitoring and research. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Establish final design specifications for the Galveston Bay’s Regional Monitoring Program.
• Oversee implementation of the program.
• Ensure comparability of monitoring efforts.
• Direct and approve future monitoring design modifications.
• Secure institutional support for the program.
• Assess the success of M&R action plans.

For more information on the Monitoring and Research Subcommittee, please email Jenelle Estrada (jenelle.estrada@tceq.texas.gov).

The purpose of the WSQ subcommittee is to advise the Council and the Estuary Program staff on matters pertaining to water and sediment quality. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Provide a forum for information sharing and coordination of bay-wide water and sediment quality activities.
• Facilitate and assure agency commitments to implement water and sediment quality actions of The Plan.
• Make recommendations to the Council concerning proposed WSQ projects.
• Identify potential funding sources.
• Develop and recommend to the Council annual priorities for implementation of the WSQ action plans.
• Provide updates of agency/organization activities that implement The Plan.
• Assess the success of WSQ action plans.

For more information on the Water and Sediment Quality Subcommittee, please email Christian Rines (christian.rines@tceq.texas.gov).

The purpose of the PPE subcommittee is to advise the Council and the Estuary Program staff on matters pertaining to education and outreach. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Provide a forum for information sharing and coordination of bay-wide education and outreach activities.
• Facilitate and assure agency commitments to implement public participation and education actions of The Plan.
• Make recommendations to the Council concerning proposed PPE projects.
• Identify potential funding sources.
• Develop and recommend to the Council annual priorities for implementation of the PPE action plans.
• Provide updates of agency/organization activities that implement The Plan.
• Assess the success of PPE action plans.

For more information on the Public Participation and Education Subcommittee, please email Zoe Gapayao (zoe.gapayao@tceq.texas.gov).

The purpose of the NRU subcommittee is to advise the Council and the Estuary Program staff on matters pertaining to habitat/living resource conservation and balanced human uses. The subcommittee performs the following functions:

• Provide a forum for information sharing and coordination of habitat/living resource conservation and balanced human uses activities.
• Facilitate and assure agency commitments to implement habitat/living resource conservation and balanced human uses actions of The Plan.
• Make recommendations to the Council concerning proposed NRU projects.
• Identify potential funding sources.
• Develop and recommend to the Council annual priorities for implementation of the NRU action plans.
• Provide updates of agency/organization activities that implement The Plan.
• Assess progress towards NRU action plans.

For more information about the NRU Subcommittee, please email Lindsey Lippert (lindsey.lippert@tceq.texas.gov).

For more information on the Galveston Bay Council quarterly meeting, please contact Lisa Marshall, GBEP Program Manager, at lisa.marshall@tceq.texas.gov.

For more information on the Galveston Bay Council quarterly meeting, please contact Lisa Marshall, GBEP Program Manager, at lisa.marshall@tceq.texas.gov.

For more information on the Water and Sediment Quality subcommittee, please contact Christian Rines at christian.rines@tceq.texas.gov.