What’s Happening at CCA Texas

Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow increases commitment to new Matagorda nearshore reef to $200,000

CCA Texas' habitat program, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), recently announced that the program is increasing its commitment to the Matagorda nearshore reefing site to $200,000. This new nearshore reef in Texas state waters is located between Matagorda and Sargent and is a 160 acre site located 25 nm southeast of Freeport in 60 ft of water. With $115,000 already committed through a combination of funds from a private Houston foundation, Shimano American Corporation and CCA National's Building Conservation Fund, this additional funding by HTFT is possible through the additional grant of $85,000 from the Building Conservation Fund.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) Artificial Reefing program is in the process of putting together the necessary project packages in preparation for bids and hopes to reef approximately 600 pre-designed pyramid structures at the site by the end of summer 2012. HTFT has partnered with TPWD's Artificial Reefing program on two prior projects, the Vancouver site out of Freeport and most recently the Port Mansfield site located out of Port Mansfield. With this addition in funds to the TPWD Reefing Program, HTFT has now contributed $300,000 to nearshore reefing projects in Texas state waters and remains committed to helping TPWD populate currently permitted sites with materials and the creation of other nearshore sites along the Texas coast.

2012 off to a fast start

When this issue of Texas Saltwater Fishing hits the news stands, CCA Texas volunteers will have already held three banquets, participated in four boat/fishing shows and taken part in two conservation efforts to keep our coastal resources pristine. The Houston Real Estate Chapter kicked off the year with a great event at the Houston Country Club and was followed up by the Texas State Chapter in San Marcos and the San Bernard Chapter in East Bernard. All three events were great successes and many thanks to the volunteers that put these together.

Volunteers were also busy away from the normal fundraising activities and participated in the 11th Annual Crab Trap cleanup on February 18th and the Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup on February 25th. Both of these events are fueled by great volunteer support and sponsors, and would not be possible without them. Many thanks to TPWD for once again organizing the Crab Trap Cleanup and to Billy Sandifer and Friends of Padre for leading the charge in the monumental effort to keep Big Shell Beach clean.

Be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org and see what events are coming up on the calendar in the near future. March events include the following banquets:

Sabine/Neches Thursday, March 1st at the Port Arthur Civic Center

Brazos Valley Thursday, March 8th at the Brazos Center in Bryan

Colorado Valley Thursday, March 22nd at the K. C. Hall in LaGrange

Texas A&M Friday, March 23rd at the Brazos Center in Bryan

West Texas Monday, March 26th at the Midland Country Club

Corpus Christi Thursday, March 29th at the American Bank Center in Corpus

Bay Area Thursday, March 29th at the Bay Area Community Center

Brazoria County Thursday, March 29th at the Civic Center in Lake Jackson

Be sure to check out these great events in you local community and support the effort of these volunteers the make sure our coastal resources are available for future generations.

Other conservation highlights

Rigs to Reefs

CCA National is continuing to work with Sen. David Vitter (R-La), other legislators and the presidential administration to find common ground to keep critically important habitat in the Gulf. This is an ongoing process and CCA in committed to staying in this fight to make sure this habitat stays in the gulf. For more information, please visit www.joincca.org or our working partners, Save the Blue, at www.save-the-blue.org/

Goose Island reef bagging and reef building project

Led by Jennifer Pollack at Texas A&M Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), there will be (3) shell bagging events and (1) oyster reef building event for an educational oyster reef near the fishing pier in Goose Island State Park. This event will be a great opportunity for volunteers to come out and help bag shell and then work on building the educational reef. The shell bagging dates have been set for March 10th, March 31st and April 28th. The date for the reef building event is set for May 19th. CCA Texas will have more detailed information at a later date and will call for volunteers through email communications. For more information and details, please contact Jennifer Pollack at TAMUCC, (361) 825-2041 or John Blaha at CCA Texas, (713) 626-4222.