Final programmatic environmental impact statement : federal approval of the Texas National Estuarine Research Reserve and Management Plan : the Mission-Aransas Estuary

Abstract

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) with an endorsement by Texas Governor Rick Perry, have submitted a nomination to designate parts of the Mission-Aransas Estuary as a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). With passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA), the federal government officially recognized the national significance of coastal resources and authorized the federal Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP) and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). In response to the CZMP, the state of Texas established the Texas Coastal Management Program (CMP), which was federally approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1997. The Texas CMP coordinates state, local, and federal programs for the management of Texas coastal resources. Both the CZMP and NERRS are administered by NOAA. Since 1972, parts of twenty-six estuaries have been designated in the NERRS. The NERRS works with existing federal and state authorities to establish and operate research reserves and provide for their long term stewardship.