Galveston Bay Foundation acquires more than 100 acres in Texas City for conservation

Nature conservation nonprofit Galveston Bay Foundation recently acquired 106 acres of land on Dollar Bay as part of its continued effort to protect coastal habitat, according to a Dec. 17 media release.

The newly-conserved property is directly adjacent to a planned marsh restoration site, according to the release. Preservation of the property also protects a land buffer for the wetland restoration area, helping to conserve native prairie habitat and coastal wetlands.

Galveston Bay Foundation partnered with landowners Byron and Holly Davis, who initially planned to develop the Texas City land, and communicated the property’s value for conservation.

“Once we understood the uniqueness of the property, we began to imagine a new vision for the land, a vision that will be shared for many generations under the leadership and conservancy of The Galveston Bay Foundation,” Byron Davis said.

The foundation purchased the land and transferred the property to the City of Texas City after placing a conservation easement on it. The conservation easement on the land perpetually protects it by restricting future uses, according to the foundation. Galveston Bay Foundation will manage and lead restoration efforts on the property to enhance the habitats there.

Funding for the acquisition was provided primarily by state and federal sources. Since its establishment in 1987, Galveston Bay Foundation has conserved more than 8,000 acres of coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements.

The nonprofit continues to actively expand its land conservation efforts within the Galveston Bay watershed, focusing on protecting a range of habitats from wetlands to coastal forests.

Learn more about Galveston Bay Foundation’s land conservation efforts here.