The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is holding eight public hearings and a webinar to solicit public comments on Draft Amendment 9 – Coral Habitat Areas Considered for Management in the Gulf of Mexico. The Council is currently considering creating several new coral habitat areas of particular concern in the Gulf of Mexico.

In the Houston area, a public hearing will be held:

Wednesday, May 9, 2018, beginning at 6 p.m.
Hampton Inn & Suites Houston/League City
2320 Gulf Freeway South
League City, Texas 77573
(281) 614-5437

To view the document and video, or submit and read comments, please visit gulfcouncil.org.

All are welcome to Houston Renewable Energy Group’s monthly meetings! They will have a presentation on an interesting aspect of renewable energy in Houston, review HREG business, progress, and plan events. After the meeting, they usually spend some time socializing and finding out what is happening on the renewable scene in Houston from each other. Monthly Meetings are the best place for members to learn about HREG, ask questions, and provide suggestions.

If you are interested in volunteering or becoming a voting member, attending this meeting would be a great opportunity for you to learn more about what HREG does and how you can help. For more information, contact HREG.

Manta rays have long been a favorite for divers and a focal species for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. But, what do we really know about them? NOAA ONMS Nancy Foster Scholar and Associate Director of The Manta Trust, Joshua Stewart, will talk about his research on manta rays and what he has learned about the population that visits Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. What are they doing in the sanctuary? Why are they so small? What questions about mantas remain to be answered in the Gulf of Mexico?

Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to a monthly environmental education web meeting series whose theme in 2018 is Stewardship.

At the May web meeting, we welcome Anja Machado, Executive Director, and Victoria Hepburn, Education/Outreach Coordinator, of the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (TWRC), who will discuss Care and Stewardship of Wildlife & EcoSystems in Our Communities. Anja will explain how the TWRC cares for wildlife brought to the center, and the role of rehabilitators who care for animals in their homes. She will also discussion volunteer opportunities at the center. Victoria will explain how to recognize if an animal is in need, how to assist animals in need, and how to bring injured or orphaned animals to the center for assistance. She will also highlight how attendees can be true stewards of our urban and suburban ecosystems, and the importance of doing so to the health & vitality of our city. After their talk, there will be time for Q&A.

The Brays Bayou Association meets the third Monday of each month at The Gathering Place. Brays Bayou Association does not currently have a website.

To support the national week of action on EPA’s science restriction rule, Earthjustice and UCS are partnering to host a skills-based webinar on public comments. In this online training, you will learn: how to write an effective public comment, what types of comments are most meaningful, and how to weigh in on EPA’s proposed rule to restrict science in decision-making. If you want to learn about how to make expert comments on important issues, this webinar is for you.

H-GAC is hosting a series of seminars and hands-on workshops to learn to use H-GAC’s interactive web applications for community and transportation planning. Participants will have access to computers to participate in an interactive session to master the use of these online applications.

A webinar option is also available; however, hands-on activities will be presented to in-person attendees only.

• Seminar 1: Demographic Explorer and Snapshot - Thursday, March 22
  
• Seminar 2: Regional Employment Snapshot & Commute Patterns - Thursday, April 26
• Seminar 3: Activity-Connectivity Explorer - Thursday, May 24

Seminar 1 focuses on the Demographic Explorer and Snapshot which provides quick and easy access to US Census American Community Survey data

Learn how to customize the data displayed to fit your needs:

• Draw and select an area of interest
• Query the data for more information
• Perform market analysis
• Summarize and download data
• Directly use the demographic snapshot tool and maps for presentations

For more information, visit h-gac.com.

GOMA is hosting a Wednesday Webinar series, the last Wednesday of every other month at 2:00pm Central/3:00pm Eastern.  Join us to hear about great resources and projects from around the Gulf.

The first webinar will be May 30th, on Gulf TREE with Mikaela Hemming from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative.  Gulf TREE (www.gulftree.org) is a new decision support search engine designed to help stakeholders confidently identify the best resilience tool for their individual needs. Download the GOMA Wednesday Webinars informational flyer.

There is no registration fee.  The lunch menu is buffet style, and the South Texas Section subsidizes lunch cost by $5 per attendee. STS members as well as non-members are welcome to attend.  They only request that you pre-register at the STS-AIChE.org website so they can get an accurate head count for the restaurant.

On June 2, 2018, from 9-10:30 a.m., Artist Boat will share the full vision for the Coastal Heritage Preserve and the Gulf Coast Educational Center.  Artist Boat will present the public education and access plan, habitat management plan, and accomplishments to date of the Coastal Heritage Preserve.  Learn more about the status of the remaining acreage of Marquette and Anchor Bay still at stake for future development. The meeting will take place at Galveston Country Club, 14228 Stewart Road. A light breakfast will be served. RSVP to Candace Jones, executiveassistant@artistboat.org or 409-770-0722.