The Bolivar Peninsula beach and dune restoration project is receiving funding from the state, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced in a Dec. 13 news release.

The gist

The project will try to achieve two things, according to the release:

• Provide protection for Hwy. 87, which is the only hurricane evacuation route for the Bolivar Peninsula
• Restore beach and dune systems billed as “essential”

The funding comes through the Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act, according to the release. The CEPRA program creates erosion response projects across the Texas coast.

What else?

According to the release, the project’s funding was helped by a number of officials and entities, including:

• The Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District
• Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
• Galveston County Road Administrator Lee Crowder
• Galveston County Judge Mark Henry
• Galveston County Precinct 2 Commissioner Joe Giusti

Quote of note

"As a Texan who grew up near the coast and lived on Galveston Island for more than a decade, preserving our state’s precious shorelines and their communities is a top priority,” Buckingham said in the release. "I am honored to be able to bring this much-needed funding to Galveston County for this beneficial project. Ensuring Bolivar Peninsula’s only hurricane evacuation route, Hwy. 87, is fortified is critical to the safety of this community.”