Subcommittees of the Galveston Bay Council (the Council) meet quarterly or as needed to facilitate The Galveston Bay Plan’s day-to-day implementation activities. This includes developing projects and programs for each of the specific actions in The Plan.

Subcommittee meetings are open to the public. Meetings take place at the Estuary Program office at 17041 El Camino Real, Ste. 210 Houston, TX 77058. If you would like a copy of past agendas, meeting minutes, or presentations please contact our office at (281) 218-6461 or send an email to gbep@tceq.texas.gov.

Public Participation and Education (PPE)

PPE

Upcoming Meetings: December 4, 2024

Coordinator: Zoe Gapayao, Zoe.Gapayao@tceq.texas.gov
Chair: Cindy Wilems, Galveston Bay Foundation
Vice Chair: Kendall Guidroz, Houston-Galveston Area Council

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.

 

June 2024 PPE Meeting Agenda

March 2024 PPE Meeting Minutes

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: TERN in the Classroom — Adaptation, Community, and Connection – Yvette Stewart, Community Outreach Coordinator at Audubon Texas

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: A Vision for Community – Dr. Anna Weiss, Director of Green Galveston Initiatives and Candy Hattingh, Director of Incubate Galveston Initiatives at Vision Galveston

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: Outdoors for All – Patti Bonnin, Senior Naturalist at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

December 2023 PPE Meeting Minutes

December 2023 Subcommittee Presentation: CCMP Update and Discussion – Houston Advanced Research Center

December 2023 PPE Presentation: GBEP Equity Strategy – Moriah Johnson, Equity Consultant, Moriah Lynn Consulting, LLC.

September 2023 PPE Meeting Minutes

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Resources Uses (NRU)

NRU

Upcoming Meetings: December 4, 2024

Coordinator: Lindsey Lippert, Lindsey.Lippert@tceq.texas.gov
Chair: Philip Smith, Galveston Bay Foundation
Vice Chair: Scott Alford, Natural Resource Conservation Service

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.
Invasive Species Work Group

The Invasive Species Work Group is a work group of the NRU subcommittee. The purpose of the group is to foster a dialogue between the various government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders that are interested in or affected by invasive species in the Galveston Bay watershed. The group explores numerous issues and ideas related to managing invasive species for maximum ecological, economic, and societal benefit.

 

June 2024 NRU Meeting Agenda

March 2024 NRU Meeting Minutes

December 2023 NRU Meeting Minutes

December 2023 Subcommittee Presentation: CCMP Update and Discussion – Houston Advanced Research Center

September 2023 NRU Meeting Minutes

 

 

Water and Sediment Quality (WSQ)

WSQ

Upcoming Meetings: December 11, 2024

Coordinator: Christian Rines, Christian.Rines@tceq.texas.gov
Chair: Brian Koch, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Vice Chair: Ryan Bare, Houston Advance Research Center

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.

 

June 2024 WSQ Meeting Agenda

March 2024 WSQ Meeting Minutes

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: HPARD Current ProjectsCassidy Kempf, Park Naturalist, City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department

December 2023 WSQ Meeting Minutes

December 2023 Subcommittee Presentation: CCMP Update and Discussion – Houston Advanced Research Center

December 2023 WSQ Member Spotlight: Dr. Dini Adyasri, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University at Galveston

September 2023 WSQ Meeting Minutes

 

 

 

 

 

Monitoring and Research (M&R)

M&R

Upcoming Meetings: December 11, 2024

Coordinator: Jenelle Estrada, jenelle.estrada@tceq.texas.gov
Chair: George Guillen, Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake
Vice Chair: Michael T. Lee, U.S. Geological Survey

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.

 

June 2024 M&R Meeting Agenda

March 2024 M&R Meeting Minutes

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: Bayou Blues: Mapping Marine Debris in the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed to Aid ManagementAmanda Hackney, Black Cat GIS and Biological Services

March 2024 Subcommittee Presentation: Coastal Wetland Vegetation Responses to the Closure of Rollover Pass – Anna Armitage, Ph.D., Texas A&M University Galveston

December 2023 M&R Meeting Minutes

December 2023 Subcommittee Presentation: CCMP Update and Discussion – Houston Advanced Research Center

December 2023 M&R Presentation: The Fate of Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS) Pollutants in Shellfish and Fish of Galveston Bay – David Hala, Ph.D, Texas A&M Galveston

September 2023 M&R Meeting Minutes

 

 

 

Budget and Priorities (B&P)

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Upcoming Meetings: October 2, 2024

Coordinator: Lisa M. Marshall, Lisa.Marshall@tceq.texas.gov
Chair: Bob Stokes, Galveston Bay Foundation
Vice Chair: Vance Darr, Kuraray, USA

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.

April 2024 B&P Meeting – Cancelled

January 2024 B&P Meeting Minutes

October 2023 B&P Meeting Minutes

October 2023 Section 320, state, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Project Summary

July 2023 B&P Meeting Minutes

April 2023 B&P Meeting Minutes

January 2023 B&P Meeting Minutes

October 2022 B&P Meeting Minutes