At the June 2026 meetings, each subcommittee selected the following priorities for the Fiscal 2028 Section 320/State funding:

Natural Resource Uses (NRU)

  1. Habitat Acquisition (HC-1, SC-1).
  2. Enhancement of existing or ongoing restoration-conservation efforts. (HC-2, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2) Special emphasis on:
    1. Adaptive management for previously completed projects; and
    2. Projects that may have lost/delayed funding from other federal sources.
  3. Benefit to native fish and wildlife, including federal and state listed species, Species of Greatest Conservation Need, or nongame wildlife (SC-1).
  4. Project urgency: Project must be completed in next 24 months or opportunity is lost (All Actions).

Public Participation and Education (PPE)

  1. Connecting new audiences to existing/completed on-the-ground projects in the watershed.
  2. Empowering K-12 students and/or adults to positively impact their local environment through increased scientific literacy and community projects.
  3. Opportunities to host workshops/networking events to provide technical assistance for local leadership (local governments, MUDs, schoolboards, the public) on key topics.
  4. Conservation and environmental workforce development.

Monitoring and Research (M&R)

  1. Meaningful and effective monitoring of existing, past, and new projects (NRU: especially research and monitoring for diamondback terrapin and best management projects, WSQ, PPE).
  2. Baseline assessments for large-scale, man-made changes to Galveston Bay at an adequate timeline and spatial range to provide useful information.
  3. Assessment, Exposure, and Response to stressors, including but not limited to:
    • Species of greatest conservation need;
    • Contact recreation standards;
    • Environmental parameters;
    • Emerging contaminants; and
    • Legacy contaminants.

The timeline for the submittal of Fiscal 2028 proposals is as follows:

  • June 22, 2026 – Release of Request for Proposals
  • July 24, 2026 – Proposals Due
  • August 12, 2026 – Send Proposals to Subcommittees Members for Review
  • September 2, 2026 (NRU, PPE) and September 9, 2026 (M&R, WSQ) – Present Proposals to Subcommittees for Council Recommendation
  • September 30, 2026 – Present Proposals to B&P Subcommittee for Final Recommendation
  • October 14, 2026 – Present Proposals to Galveston Bay Council for Approval

If you have questions regarding the application and funding process, please contact the Galveston Bay Estuary Program at GBEP@tceq.texas.gov.

How the Galveston Bay Estuary Program funds projects

Federal, state, and partner contributions are critical to the success of the GBEP. The Estuary Program is funded annually with EPA funds from Section 320 of the Clean Water Act, which is matched (1:1) with state funds from TCEQ. The partnership between TCEQ and EPA is important to the successful implementation of The Galveston Bay Plan since some plan actions fulfill the tenants of the Clean Water Act and Texas Water Code and support the missions of both agencies.

GBEP receives additional state funding, which is leveraged to match other federal grants.

GBEP provides technical support to its partners in developing and securing funding for a variety of project types and applies for external funding when applicable. Awards received include Coastal Impact Assistance Program, which was administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the Texas General Land Office, and the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

GBEP Project Development Process

The Estuary Program project development and funding is unique in that the staff members work closely with stakeholders to take a project from concept to implementation. This process is one of the strengths of the Estuary Program as it has garnered vital partnerships and helped leverage resources from multiple entities and organizations.
The fiscal year for the State of Texas is September 1 through August 31. Throughout the year the Galveston Bay Council and its subcommittees meet to develop projects that are aligned with the Galveston Bay Plan.

Subcommittee Review and Selection

The Water and Sediment Quality (WSQ), Natural Resource Uses (NRU), Public Participation and Education (PPE), and Monitoring and Research (M&R) subcommittees meet quarterly during the year to discuss each group’s priority focus and determine what projects or issues need to be addressed. The subcommittees also work in concert with the Galveston Bay Council, the Budget and Priorities subcommittee (B&P), and Estuary Program staff to develop priority needs. The B&P subcommittee consists of the chairs of each of the subcommittees and the Council Chair and Vice Chair as well as former Council Chairs. This body also meets regularly to review and assess the needs of the program and the other subcommittees.

Starting in early summer, the committees meet to set priority needs that will help determine project planning for the upcoming fiscal year funding.

By early fall, each subcommittee meets to review project proposals based on the priorities set throughout the year. A project proposal submission form is made available for each subcommittee and the public at large. Projects are presented in the September subcommittee meetings.

After subcommittee members have reviewed the proposals, projects are selected either by consensus or ranking depending on the approved process in each subcommittee.

Once the projects are selected by each subcommittee, the projects are then reviewed by the B&P subcommittee. This body is tasked with providing a balanced fiscal year budget for the program that takes into consideration program needs, operating costs, and project funding.

Council Review and Work Plan

In October, the Council is presented the GBEP budget that includes the proposed projects. Once the Council has approved the projects and proposed GBEP budget, the Estuary Program, and TCEQ work to develop the fiscal year work plan for the EPA that lays out program operating costs, project funding, and program needs.