Artificial Reefs in Texas - let TPWD know!!!!
We need the Houston dive community’s support to lobby the Texas Parks & Wildlife department in an attempt to get an artificial reef in the Houston/Galveston area.
TPWD is going to to sink the Texas Clipper near Brownsville/South Padre. The main reason that South Texas was selected is they have done a better job lobbying the powers that be for the ship. When you look at the population differences between the Valley as compared to the greater Houston area, I’m appalled that Houston can’t pool the resources to secure a ship along the upper Texas coast. I can tell you, as an officer of the club, that one of the first things I am asked when talking to people about local diving is “where is there to go diving around Houston, anyway?”
That said, we need a two-pronged approach to let TPWD know that we are serious about having a wreck that can be dived out of Houston/Galveston.
Step 1
The first part of our approach in getting an artificial reef is to lobby the Texas Parks & Wildlife department. The single most important thing that each of us can do is to write letters/emails to the people in charge of TPWD letting them know where we stand. The letters should:
1) express demand in the greater Houston area for an artificial reef
2) state why we need a ship in this area
3) talk about the number of divers in the area and the interest it would generate
Here is the email & snail mail contact information for Texas Parks and Wildlife:
TPWD Headquarters Artificial Reef Program Staff:
Larry McKinney - Director
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
larry.mckinney@tpwd.state.tx.us
Dale Shively - Coordinator
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
dale.shively@tpwd.state.tx.us
Paul Hammerschmidt
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
paul.hammerschmidt@tpwd.state.tx.us
Dickinson Marine Lab Artificial Reef Program Staff:
Doug Peter
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
douglas.peter@tpwd.state.tx.us
John Embesi
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
john.embesi@tpwd.state.tx.us
***Please also send a copy of all correspondence to:***
Texas Artificial Reef Advisory Committee
Jim Morrison – Chairman
1717 E Loop Ste 200
Houston, TX 77029
Jim@wgma.org
Please, please, please, take 15 minutes and write an email and a letter to each of these people letting them know we need an artificial reef ship in the Houston area.
For those of you on other forums and in other clubs, please cut and paste this information and pass it around. If we do not step up and make our voices heard, we will never get an artificial reef that can be considered a local dive.
Step 2
The second part of our approach in getting an artificial reef is to help TPWD out with the preparation of the Texas Clipper for sinking. Right now the ship is sitting in Beaumont, waiting to be cleaned up. Only after it is cleaned and has passed inspection can it be put in the water for diving.
WHAT WE NEED IS PEOPLE WILLING TO DO BASIC MANUAL LABOR TO HELP PREPARE THE SHIP FOR INSPECTION. This will include things like removing desks and other items from the interior, pulling wire, cleaning holds, etc. It WILL NOT include any potentially hazardous duties such as asbestos remediation.
By supplying labor for TPWD, we can help keep their costs down for the Texas Clipper project. This may leave them with more funds that could be applied to a future reef ship.
We don’t have any firm schedules or specific details yet. What we do need to know is how many people would be willing to work for a day or a weekend to help clean up the ship. You are not making a firm commitment to work by replying, only saying that you’d be willing to help. This will be an ongoing project and there will be many opportunities to lend a hand.
If you would be willing to help out, please let your club president know. Club presidents, please contact Roger Veteto, TGCC Vice President, with approximately how many people you have that can help by emailing rsv89@yahoo.com.
If you are on any other forums or in any other clubs, please ask the people in charge to get the word out and then to get with me to let me know how many people they have that may be interested.
If we want to have artificial reefs in Texas, and specifically in the Houston area, we have to step up, make our voices heard, roll up our sleeves, and do some work.
We need the Houston dive community’s support to lobby the Texas Parks & Wildlife department in an attempt to get an artificial reef in the Houston/Galveston area.
TPWD is going to to sink the Texas Clipper near Brownsville/South Padre. The main reason that South Texas was selected is they have done a better job lobbying the powers that be for the ship. When you look at the population differences between the Valley as compared to the greater Houston area, I’m appalled that Houston can’t pool the resources to secure a ship along the upper Texas coast. I can tell you, as an officer of the club, that one of the first things I am asked when talking to people about local diving is “where is there to go diving around Houston, anyway?”
That said, we need a two-pronged approach to let TPWD know that we are serious about having a wreck that can be dived out of Houston/Galveston.
Step 1
The first part of our approach in getting an artificial reef is to lobby the Texas Parks & Wildlife department. The single most important thing that each of us can do is to write letters/emails to the people in charge of TPWD letting them know where we stand. The letters should:
1) express demand in the greater Houston area for an artificial reef
2) state why we need a ship in this area
3) talk about the number of divers in the area and the interest it would generate
Here is the email & snail mail contact information for Texas Parks and Wildlife:
TPWD Headquarters Artificial Reef Program Staff:
Larry McKinney - Director
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
larry.mckinney@tpwd.state.tx.us
Dale Shively - Coordinator
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
dale.shively@tpwd.state.tx.us
Paul Hammerschmidt
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
paul.hammerschmidt@tpwd.state.tx.us
Dickinson Marine Lab Artificial Reef Program Staff:
Doug Peter
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
douglas.peter@tpwd.state.tx.us
John Embesi
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
john.embesi@tpwd.state.tx.us
***Please also send a copy of all correspondence to:***
Texas Artificial Reef Advisory Committee
Jim Morrison – Chairman
1717 E Loop Ste 200
Houston, TX 77029
Jim@wgma.org
Please, please, please, take 15 minutes and write an email and a letter to each of these people letting them know we need an artificial reef ship in the Houston area.
For those of you on other forums and in other clubs, please cut and paste this information and pass it around. If we do not step up and make our voices heard, we will never get an artificial reef that can be considered a local dive.
Step 2
The second part of our approach in getting an artificial reef is to help TPWD out with the preparation of the Texas Clipper for sinking. Right now the ship is sitting in Beaumont, waiting to be cleaned up. Only after it is cleaned and has passed inspection can it be put in the water for diving.
WHAT WE NEED IS PEOPLE WILLING TO DO BASIC MANUAL LABOR TO HELP PREPARE THE SHIP FOR INSPECTION. This will include things like removing desks and other items from the interior, pulling wire, cleaning holds, etc. It WILL NOT include any potentially hazardous duties such as asbestos remediation.
By supplying labor for TPWD, we can help keep their costs down for the Texas Clipper project. This may leave them with more funds that could be applied to a future reef ship.
We don’t have any firm schedules or specific details yet. What we do need to know is how many people would be willing to work for a day or a weekend to help clean up the ship. You are not making a firm commitment to work by replying, only saying that you’d be willing to help. This will be an ongoing project and there will be many opportunities to lend a hand.
If you would be willing to help out, please let your club president know. Club presidents, please contact Roger Veteto, TGCC Vice President, with approximately how many people you have that can help by emailing rsv89@yahoo.com.
If you are on any other forums or in any other clubs, please ask the people in charge to get the word out and then to get with me to let me know how many people they have that may be interested.
If we want to have artificial reefs in Texas, and specifically in the Houston area, we have to step up, make our voices heard, roll up our sleeves, and do some work.