Story from Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered to undertake $25.8 million in restoration work that will benefit more than 60,000 acres of coastal marsh on three Texas national wildlife refuges.
“We’ll be working with the FWS to repair, replace and strengthen wetland management infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Harvey on McFaddin, Texas Point and Anahuac national wildlife refuges,” DU Manager of Conservation Programs Todd Merendino said. “In addition to improving habitat management capabilities, these projects will improve public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife observation through safe, accessible structures that can withstand increasing use by the public and better weather future storms.”
Shoreline protection and wetland management infrastructure projects will address erosion loss and damage to levees and water-control structures that occurred in Jefferson, Chambers and Galveston counties. For example, a bank along McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge maintains a barrier between the largest contiguous intermediate marshland complex in the state and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Damages to the bank are threatening this important marsh ecosystem with saltwater intrusion. Two of the levees to be repaired also provide walk-in access to hunters and anglers.
These projects will be completed in phases over the next three years.
