Coastal Zone Management

Overview 

We  love our Galveston beaches and work hard to keep them clean, green and pristine for our residents, visitors, and wildlife.  We also work to inspire and educate the community to take action through environmentally responsible behaviors. 

The Park Board’s Coastal Zone Management provides day to day maintenance of Galveston's public beaches.  The Department operates a variety of programs:

Beach Cleaning
"Leave No Trace"
Wildlife Monitoring
Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance
Seaweed Relocation
Beach Recycling

Setting up the new recycle bins at East Beach
Putting Lifeguard towers on East Beach
Cleaning steps of sand

Contact Us

  1. Larry Jackson

    Manager, Coastal Zone Management
    Email Larry Jackson
    Phone: 409-797-5105

  2. Maria Romero-Rato

    Administrative Coordinator, Coastal Zone Management
    Email Maria Romero
    Phone: 409-888-0366

  3. Elizabeth Schneider

    Environmental Coordinator, Coastal Zone Management
    Email Elizabeth Schneider
    Phone: 409-895-5081

  4. Directory

What is Coastal Zone Management doing to manage seaweed?

Galveston Park Board is the only entity on the island with the granted authority to clean seaweed off the beaches in federal jurisdiction. Sargassum seaweed can be a controversial subject among various stakeholders. Naturalists, marine biologists and oceanographers regard it as a vital component of the ecosystem. The State of Texas regards it as an important natural resource and restricts its complete removal due to the ecosystem services which it provides. However, under issued permits, the seaweed can be removed and relocated to the toe of the dunes.


Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program

To empower local entities to partake in its removal, the Park Board’s Coastal Zone Management Department has a permitting program referred to as the Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program. The overarching goal of the Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program is to enhance preparedness to be able to respond to an extreme seaweed event which could have lasting impacts on the Island’s tourism industry, such as the Summer of Seaweed 2014.

The permitting process associated with seaweed cleanup is extensive, and there are risks of fines if the permits are violated.

The registration period for the 2022 Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program for HOAs/POAs has opened. The registration period will last from March, 2022, until May 1st, 2022. The following documents contain all necessary information pertaining to the program and application process.

Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program Application Packet

If you have any questions about enrollment in the Seaweed Emergency Relocation Program, please email the Park Board’s Environmental Coordinator.