Coalition Notes 05-25-2011

1. Recycle Guide. H-GAC and the TCEQ are offering residents in the Houston-Galveston region a guide to finding their nearest drop off sites for recyclables and hazardous materials. The 15-page guide gives readers an overview of what types of materials are recyclable and which ones are accepted at various recycling drop off sites. Recycle Guides are available at the Customer Service Desks of Kroger and Fiesta grocery stores across the region. A companion website is also available at http://www.recycleinfo.org/.
2. HB 571. Bayou Land Conservancy reports that HB 571 has been signed into law for the state of Texas. This bill requires sand and gravel operators to file a TCEQ permit before beginning creek and riverside mining activities. To learn more, visit http://www.capitol.state.tx.us.
3. GBF Marsh Restoration and Education. Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”) staff, volunteers from Samson, and students from Clifton Middle School who are participating in GBF’s Get Hip to Habitat program, will transplant native salt marsh grass in Trinity Bay this Thursday, May 26, in an effort to restore valuable estuarine wetlands. In this program, GBF works closely with students and teachers to establish marsh grass nurseries on their school campus grounds. The program starts with students harvesting smooth cordgrass from the NRG EcoCenter Wetlands Plant Nursery in Baytown and transplanting and cultivating the marsh grass in shallow, plastic wading pools at their schools. After 7 to 8 months of growth, GBF assists students in planting the matured plants at carefully selected marsh restoration sites around Galveston Bay. This week, students from Clifton Middle School in northwest Houston will transplant their plant stock to the shoreline of a private residence on Trinity Bay. More at www.galvbay.org.