The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold ten public hearings and a webinar to solicit public comments on Draft Amendment 50 – State Management of Recreational Red Snapper.  The Council is currently considering state management that would provide flexibility to the Gulf states to set the recreational red snapper fishing season and potentially other management measures. The public hearings and webinar will begin at 6 p.m. on…

• Jan. 14, 2019, at Courtyard by Marriott Brownsville, 3955 N. Expressway;
• Jan. 15, 2019, at Omni Hotels Corpus Christi, 900 North Shoreline;
• Jan. 16, 2019, at League City Civic Center and Recreation Center, 300 West Walker; and
• Jan. 17, 2019, via webinar.

Written public comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Comments may be submitted online via gulfcouncil.org. Written comments may also be emailed to gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold ten public hearings and a webinar to solicit public comments on Draft Amendment 50 – State Management of Recreational Red Snapper.  The Council is currently considering state management that would provide flexibility to the Gulf states to set the recreational red snapper fishing season and potentially other management measures. The public hearings and webinar will begin at 6 p.m. on…

• Jan. 14, 2019, at Courtyard by Marriott Brownsville, 3955 N. Expressway;
• Jan. 15, 2019, at Omni Hotels Corpus Christi, 900 North Shoreline;
• Jan. 16, 2019, at League City Civic Center and Recreation Center, 300 West Walker; and
• Jan. 17, 2019, via webinar.

Written public comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Comments may be submitted online via gulfcouncil.org. Written comments may also be emailed to gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org.

The City of Angleton will host the next Bringing Back Main Street Revitalization roundtable meeting at the Brazoria County Historical Museum. During this roundtable, participants will hear information on meeting building codes and regulations when renovating older buildings in downtowns. The presentation will be followed by a tour of two renovated buildings in downtown Angleton. H-GAC hosts quarterly roundtables to help local governments, chambers of commerce, and economic development interests promote the economic revitalization of downtown areas. Online RSVP is requested.

The Bringing Back Main Street initiative offers local communities a place to share best practices and engage in a regional dialogue about revitalizing and supporting vibrant downtown spaces. Each quarter, community leaders gather for a roundtable on topics ranging from small business support to sidewalk infrastructure. These ongoing roundtables add to the knowledge shared during a 2015 workshop series.

Save the date for H-GAC’s next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable. The location and topic are to be determined.

Each year, the prestigious Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award recognizes members in the community who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration and/or advocacy of Houston’s waterways. Nominees can be from the nonprofit, public or private sectors. Please submit nominations by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2019. Submit the nomination information in the body of an email, or as an attachment, or by fax. Email to info@bayoupreservation.org, or fax to 713-529-6481.

Eligible applicants include:

• Local Governments
• Businesses & Industry
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Universities and Educational Institutions
• Utility Districts

The Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards recognize innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality. Joint applications for larger, collaborative projects are encouraged. Winning projects must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and serve as models to improve surface water quality. Applications must be completed online by Feb. 6, 2019, at noon. For more information, visit h-gac.com.

Join Citizens’ Environmental Coalition as they visit the Hannah and Arthur Ginsbarg Nature Discovery Center in Bellaire. There will be a guided tour outside and a chance to view major renovations that were completed recently. They will visit the pocket priarie, deciduous woodlands, prairie wetland, and cypress pond in Russ Pitman Park; nature play area; and Critter Classroom. On the tour, you will learn about environmental education initiatives at a mainstay of environmental education inside the loop. The last part of the meeting is our traditional EEE Round-table Forum where members and attendees introduce themselves, their programs, make announcements and discuss challenges and successes in environmental education.

Save the date for H-GAC’s first Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, February 8, 2019, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects.

The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas awards recognition ceremony. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, and On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000.

A light breakfast will be served. Registration will open in late December or early January. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the H-GAC program showcase at 9 a.m. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.

The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories. The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.