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The proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area will be a non-contiguous cluster of lands, historic sites and structures along the upper Texas Gulf Coast leveraged and promoted by a grass-roots partnership of public, and private nonprofit landowners who voluntarily choose to participate. This first-of-its-kind management approach for a National Recreation Area was envisioned and developed by local landowners and business and community leaders as a flexible way to achieve the benefits and stature of National Park Service involvement while sustaining local participation in planning and governance.

To read more about National Recreation Areas, click here

The designation of the LSCNRA would likely bring millions of dollars to the upper Texas coast. National Park Service units generate considerable economic benefits for their local regions supported by NPS visitor spending. A 2016 NPS report showed that NPS tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning about $10 for every $1 invested by the NPS.  The increased tourism significantly affects local economies as well. In 2015, visitors to NPS units contributed more than $32 billion to local economies and supported almost 300,000 jobs nationally. The report finds that NPS visitors spent an estimated $262.5 million locally, supporting 4,100 jobs and $372.6 million in economic output in the Texas economy. See 2015 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation (April 2016)

The LSCNRA is supported by coastal landowners, residents, businesses and organizations dedicated to protecting property rights, preserving fishing, hunting and outdoor activities, and enhancing tourism and economic opportunity in upper  Texas coast communities. More than two dozen organizations and agencies, which together own more than 20,000 acres of land, have submitted resolutions or letters indicating their intent to participate in the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. The Steering Committee of the LSCNRA effort includes more than two-dozen community leaders and decision makers who have helped shape the LSCNRA and build widespread support for the concept. These groups and many other area residents are actively working to obtain Congressional approval of the National Recreation Area plan.

To see a list of all LSCNRA Partners and Supporters, click here.

For a list of Steering Committee Members, click here.

Upon designation, the partnership may develop a business plan for the LSCNRA that will include revenue sources identified by the partners to meet budget needs. It is anticipated that the partnership will minimize reliance on public sector funding. The Lone Star Coastal Alliance, with help from LSCNRA leadership, will raise funds to supplement substantially the LSCNRA’s budget. Funding may come from many sources, including local, state, and national competitive grants, foundations, and private donors. A small amount of federal funding for salaries of certain National Park Service employees who cannot be paid with external funds will be necessary

To date 100 percent of funding required to develop the proposed LSCNRA has been provided by grants and donations from private sector sources in the region, and by the National Parks Conservation Association, a nationwide, non-profit membership organization in support of the National Parks System. Partners Coalition and Steering Committee members are volunteers and serve without compensation.

Under the proposed legislation, no property may be granted to or acquired by the National Park Service except for the non-profit and government-owned tracts specifically referenced in the bill:  Houston Audubon’s Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary; City of Galveston’s Ashton Villa; City of  Galveston’s East End Lagoon; Scenic Galveston’s  John M. O’Quinn I-45 Estuary Corridor & Virginia Point Peninsula Preserve Complex; Cradle of Texas Conservancy’s Styner, Old Town Brazoria, and Surfside tracts in Brazoria County.  It also allows for federal inter-agency transfers upon agreement by the agencies. In addition, the legislation prohibits additional regulations being imposed on participating landowners.  Thus, the LSCNRA is strongly protective of private property rights.

The proposed legislation is written to maximize local self-determination. The Partnership of the LSCNRA, which serves to coordinate the activities of voluntarily participating federal, state and local governmental entities, non-governmental organizations, individuals and private entities, is structured to include each participating land owner. After the LSCNRA is established, a charter and bylaws will be drafted by participants and NPS to define the structure and decision-making process related to the development and implementation of a management plan. The charter and bylaws will follow the guidelines laid out in the legislation.

Legislation to obtain national recreation area designation has been drafted and plans are being made to introduce the legislation in Congress during 2017.

The proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area will be a non-contiguous cluster of lands, historic sites and structures along the upper  Texas coast, leveraged and promoted by a grass-roots partnership of public and private nonprofit landowners who voluntarily choose to participate. This first-of-its-kind management approach for a National Recreation Area was envisioned and developed by local landowners and business and community leaders as a flexible way to achieve the benefits and stature of National Park Service involvement while sustaining local participation in planning and governance.

To read more about National Recreation Areas, click here.

The designation of the LSCNRA would likely bring millions of dollars to the upper Texas coast. National Park Service units generate considerable economic benefits for their local regions supported by NPS visitor spending. A 2016 NPS report showed that NPS tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning about $10 for every $1 invested by the NPS.  The increased tourism significantly affects local economies as well. In 2015, visitors to NPS units contributed more than $32 billion to local economies and supported almost 300,000 jobs nationally. The report finds that NPS visitors spent an estimated $262.5 million locally, supporting 4,100 jobs and $372.6 million in economic output in the Texas economy. See 2015 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation (April 2016).

The LSCNRA could greatly increase tourist visitation and economic impacts in the upper Texas coast region in the years following designation. The principal economic beneficiaries would include vendors in the food, lodging, outdoor recreation and travel businesses. Other businesses will benefit by providing services or supplies required for operating, maintaining and sustaining elements of the recreation economy. Furthermore, the overall economic impact of more jobs and tourism dollars coming into LSCNRA will result in economic benefits across the region. Finally, a National Recreation Area will contribute to the quality of life in the area, which is critical to attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.

Designation of a National Recreation Area along the upper Texas coast will put our region on par with the nation’s most outstanding, significant destinations and create awareness among tourists in the US and abroad. In so doing, it will give us access to more than 307 million people who visit our national parks each year, and significantly contribute to the economy and the communities near those areas.

Upon designation, the partnership may develop a business plan for the LSCNRA that will include revenue sources identified by the partners to meet budget needs. It is anticipated that the partnership will minimize reliance on public sector funding. The Lone Star Coastal Alliance, with help from LSCNRA leadership, will raise funds to supplement substantially the LSCNRA’s budget. Funding may come from many sources, including local, state, and national competitive grants, foundations, and private donors. A small amount of federal funding for salaries of certain National Park Service employees who cannot be paid with external funds will be necessary

The LSCNRA is supported by coastal landowners, residents, businesses and organizations dedicated to protecting property rights, preserving fishing, hunting and outdoor activities, and enhancing tourism and economic opportunity in upper Texas coastal communities. More than two-dozen organizations and agencies, which together own more than 20,000 acres of land, have submitted resolutions or letters indicating their intent to participate in the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. The Steering Committee of the LSCNRA effort includes community leaders and decision makers who have helped shape the LSCNRA and build widespread support for the concept. These groups and many other area residents are actively working to obtain Congressional approval of the National Recreation Area plan

To see a list of all LSCNRA Partners and Supporters, click here.

For a list of Steering Committee Members, click here.

Creation of a new National Recreation Area requires Congressional approval. Legislation to obtain national recreation area designation has been drafted and plans are being made to introduce the legislation in Congress. Strong local support of the plan is critical to obtaining the votes needed to approve the bill. You can help by writing or contacting your Congressional representatives to express your support of the plan.

The proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area will be a non-contiguous cluster of lands, historic sites and structures along the upper Texas coast, leveraged and promoted by a grass-roots partnership of public and private nonprofit landowners who voluntarily choose to participate. This first-of-its-kind management approach for a National Recreation Area was envisioned and developed by local landowners and business and community leaders as a flexible way to achieve the benefits and stature of National Park Service involvement while sustaining local participation in planning and governance.

To read more about National Recreation Areas, click here.

The proposed LSCNRA includes both publicly and privately owned land, including existing county and municipal parks, historic sites, wildlife preserves, and other open spaces along the upper Texas coast.

Examples of those sites include the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, the Levi Jordan Plantation, Palacios Prairie Wetlands, the Varner Hogg Plantation, certain lands belonging to Houston Audubon, Galveston Bay Foundation and Scenic Galveston, and others. Once designated, sites may also include the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and the Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge just to name two.

Under the proposed legislation, no property may be granted to or acquired by the National Park Service except for the non-profit and government-owned tracts specifically referenced in the bill:  Houston Audubon’s Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary; City of Galveston’s Ashton Villa; City of Galveston’s East End Lagoon; Scenic Galveston’s  John M. O’Quinn I-45 Estuary Corridor & Virginia Point Peninsula Preserve Complex; Cradle of Texas Conservancy’s Styner, Old Town Brazoria, and Surfside tracts in Brazoria County. It also allows for federal inter-agency land transfers upon agreement by the agencies. In addition, the legislation prohibits additional regulations being imposed on participating landowners.  Thus, the LSCNRA is strongly protective of private property rights.

The designation of the LSCNRA would likely bring millions of dollars to the upper Texas coast. National Park Service units generate considerable economic benefits for their local regions supported by NPS visitor spending. A 2016 NPS report showed that NPS tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning about $10 for every $1 invested by the NPS.  The increased tourism significantly affects local economies as well. In 2015, visitors to NPS units contributed more than $32 billion to local economies and supported almost 300,000 jobs nationally. The report finds that NPS visitors spent an estimated $262.5 million locally, supporting 4,100 jobs and $372.6 million in economic output in the Texas economy. See 2015 National Park Visitor Spending Effects: Economic Contributions to Local Communities, States, and the Nation (April 2016).

In addition to the economic benefits that the LSCNRA would bring to the region, maintaining open spaces and nature tourism sites along the upper Texas coast helps support coastal resiliency. The LSCNRA is intended to function as part of a structural and non-structural regional flood damage mitigation strategy. It is entirely compatible with any other flood damage mitigation alternatives. As a consequence, the Lone Star Coastal Alliance does not take a position on any of the structural alternatives that may be considered.

Preserving natural spaces and recreational opportunities attracts and retains people and businesses. By offering a nationally recognized outdoor recreation destination adjacent to a major metropolitan area, the LSCNRA would help ensure that the Texas coast remains a top place to live and locate business. It would contribute significantly to the long-term economic and social vitality of the region.

Yes. The rules and regulations regarding hunting and fishing will continue to be determined by the state. As is presently the case, each individual landowner, whether participating in the LSCNRA or not, will determine how hunting and fishing take place on their land within the guidelines of state law.

The proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area (LSCNRA) is a grass-roots partnership of nonprofit, private and public landowners who voluntarily choose to participate. The partners will determine the rules and extent of their involvement, devise a management plan through collaborative processes and participate in the governance of the recreation area once formed.

This is a first-of-its-kind management approach that is an excellent fit for Texas because it provides a flexible way to achieve the benefits and stature of National Park Service involvement while guaranteeing local participation in planning and governance.

To see a list of all LSCNRA Partners and Supporters, click here.

For a list of Steering Committee Members, click here.

Coastal natural areas store hurricane storm surge water and support a resilient coastal economy. Creating the LSCNRA is a way to capitalize on the economic value of the area’s natural, cultural, and historical sites while supporting flood damage reduction

Creation of a new National Recreation Area requires Congressional approval. Legislation to obtain national recreation area designation has been drafted and plans are being made to introduce the legislation in Congress. Strong local support of the plan is critical to obtaining the votes needed to approve the bill. You can help by writing or contacting your Congressional representatives to express your support of the plan.