Organization: HOUSTON WILDERNESS
Mission: HOUSTON WILDERNESS WORKS WITH A BROAD-BASED ALLIANCE OF BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND GOVERNMENT INTERESTS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE 10 DIVERSE ECOREGIONS OF THE 13+ COUNTY AREA AROUND HOUSTON, GALVESTON BAY, AND THE GULF OF MEXICO, INCLUDING COASTAL PRAIRIES, FORESTS, WETLANDS, AND WATERWAYS.
Activities: EIGHT-COUNTY GULF-HOUSTON REGIONAL CONSERVATION PLAN FACILITATED BY HOUSTON WILDERNESS, THE GULF-HOUSTON REGIONAL CONSERVATION PLAN (GULF-HOUSTON RCP) IS A LONG-TERM COLLABORATIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT RESILIENCE PLAN FOR THE GULF-HOUSTON REGION. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A UNIQUE ONLINE INTERACTIVE DATABASE OF ALL TARGETED NATURE-BASED INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TAKING PLACE IN THE REGION, THE THREE KEY GOALS OF THE EIGHT-COUNTY GULF-HOUSTON RCP INCLUDE: (1) INCREASING THE CURRENT 12.3% IN PROTECTED/PRESERVED LAND IN THE EIGHT-COUNTY REGION TO 24% OF LAND COVERAGE BY 2040, (2) INCREASING AND SUPPORTING THE REGION-WIDE LAND MANAGEMENT EFFORTS TO INSTALL NATURE-BASED STABILIZATION TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS LOW-IMPACT DEVELOPMENT, LIVING SHORELINES, AND BIOSWALES, TO 50% OF LAND COVERAGE BY 2040, AND (3) PROVIDING RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR AN INCREASE OF 0.4% ANNUALLY IN AIR QUALITY OFFSETS THROUGH CARBON ABSORPTION IN NATIVE SOILS, PLANTS, TREES, AND OYSTER REEFS THROUGHOUT THE EIGHT COUNTY REGION
TEXAS MONARCH FLYWAY STRATEGY (TEXAS MFS) IS A STATEWIDE EFFORT TO RESTORE, INCREASE AND ENHANCE MONARCH HABITAT ACROSS FOUR MAJOR REGIONS IN THE STATE - ALL OF WHICH SERVE AS CRITICAL LINKS IN THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY'S JOURNEY ALONG THE CENTRAL FLYWAY FROM CANADA TO MEXICO AND BACK EVERY YEAR, FACILITATED BY HOUSTON WILDERNESS WITH OVER 75 PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERS. THE TEXAS MFS ALSO SERVES TO PROTECT HABITAT FOR OTHER POLLINATORS THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURE. THE FOUR REGIONS INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM ARE: GULF-HOUSTON, SOUTH TEXAS, NORTH TEXAS AND HILL COUNTRY
PORT OF HOUSTON TREES & RIPARIAN ENHANCEMENT OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (POH TREES) PROGRAM - A MULTI-YEAR COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BY HOUSTON WILDERNESS, TREES FOR HOUSTON, PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY, CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP FOCUSED ON LARGE-SCALE TREE PLANTINGS ALONG LOWER BUFFALO BAYOU, LOWER BRAYS BAYOU AND 25 MILES OF THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, TARGETING NATIVE TREE SPECIES THAT ARE RANKED IN PRIORITY BASED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE LEVELS OF AIR POLLUTION ABSORPTION (INCLUDING CO2, GHGS AND PM) AS WELL AS WATER ABSORPTION AND EROSION CONTROL. THE REMOVAL AND PLANTING PHASES OF THE PROJECT PROVIDE A MULTITUDE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES INCLUDING INCREASED AIR & WATER QUALITY, INCREASED NUTRIENT CYCLING & OXYGEN PRODUCTION AND IMPROVED AESTHETIC FOR THIS HIGH-NEED AREA.
NTEE category: Environment
Secondary category: Animal-Related