Coastal Press Releases
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2013
87 tons of trash removed from Texas beaches Saturday
April 24, 2013(AUSTIN)—Volunteers removed more than 87 tons of trash from Texas beaches Saturday during the 27th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup. Despite a frigid north wind, nearly 6,000 Texans spent the morning combing 28 popular beaches along the coast to bring in this potentially deadly ...more
Patterson promotes Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup with shocking PSA
March 26, 2013(AUSTIN)—The annual Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup is Saturday, April 20 and Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is getting the word out with a creative -- and revolting -- new public service announcement. "Fresh from the sea, enjoy these special dishes prepared just for you, like used cigarette...more
Winter Texans clean 2.7 tons of trash off South Padre beaches
February 13, 2013(AUSTIN)—Winter Texans from as far away as Canada showed up Friday to clean 5,400 pounds of trash - more than 2.7 tons - off South Padre Island beaches at the Texas General Land Office's Adopt-A-Beach Winter Texan Cleanup. A total of 135 volunteers from Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin joined ...more
Saturday’s Adopt-A-Beach Winter Beach Cleanup was biggest ever
February 12, 2013(AUSTIN)—A record number of volunteers showed up at Saturday's Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Winter Cleanup, taking seven tons of trash with them. A total of 468 volunteers cleaned 25 miles of Gulf Coast beaches from Rockport to the Padre Island National Seashore. Adopt-A-Beach coordinat...more
Texas Coastal Management Program awards $1.75 million in grants
January 28, 2013(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today announced $1,740,000 in coastal grants awarded through the Texas Coastal Management Program will go to 21 projects. "These grants are targeted to restore vital wildlife habitat, advance our knowledge of the Texas coast and help fund local effo...more
Effort to open up Cedar Bayou gets $200,000 boost
January 18, 2013(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today announced a $200,000 grant to help re-open Cedar Bayou, a natural pass between the Gulf of Mexico and the Aransas Bay complex. "This is good news for the whooping cranes, as well as everything else that depends on a healthy bay system," Patter...more
2012
Adopt-A-Beach volunteers cleanup 153 tons of trash
September 26, 2012(AUSTIN)— More than 9,316 volunteers pitched in Saturday for the 26th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup. The volunteers removed 153 tons of trash from 29 sites along 186 miles of Texas coast. "The turnout this year was amazing," said Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterso...more
Adopt-A-Beach volunteers win national award
September 11, 2012(AUSTIN)—The Texas General Land Office's Adopt-A-Beach program does more than any other volunteer program in the nation to take care of public lands, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Adopt-A-Beach will be recognized with the Take Pride in America Award for top corporate-sponsored event Oct. 11 ...more
Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup Sept. 22
August 27, 2012(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is urging all Texans to take advantage of their right to access the public beach Saturday, Sept. 22 for the 26th Annual Texas General Land Office Fall Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup. The cleanup will take place at 29 sites along the Texas coast. "A right not exercise...more
Texas Coastal Expo returns to Moody Gardens
May 15, 2012(AUSTIN)—Celebrate World Oceans Day when the Texas Coastal Expo returns to Galveston's Moody Gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9. This free and family-friendly celebration of the Texas Coast - brought to you by the Texas General Land Office - is the biggest coastal expo in Texas. "Bring the kids...more
More than 7,300 volunteers haul 137 tons of trash off Texas beaches
May 01, 2012(AUSTIN)—Texas beaches may just be getting cleaner, according to reports from Adopt-A-Beach coordinators across the coast. The 26th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup drew 7,369 volunteers to the Texas coast Saturday. But the good weather and the strong turnout...more
Bryce Seifert wins Trash Travels High School PSA contest
April 30, 2012(AUSTIN)—Dripping Springs High School junior Bryce Seifert's slapstick approach to delivering the message "trash travels" earned him top honors in the Trash Travels High School PSA contest. "Bryce's video is funny, but still effectively delivers a serious message that litter in Central Texas can w...more
Artwork wins Dallas fifth-grader Caribbean cruise
April 17, 2012(AUSTIN)—A sea turtle curiously approaches as mysterious hands pull a soda can and a six-pack ring from the surf. Colorful fish circle a tableau of trash left by beachgoers as a horseshoe crab scoots past, oblivious. Look closer and words appear on bracelets adorning the disembodied wrists, and the message ...more
Supreme Court kills Texas tradition of open beaches on West Galveston
April 04, 2012(AUSTIN)—The Texas tradition of guaranteed public access to the beach died today for Galveston's West End with the Supreme Court reaffirming its prior ruling in favor of a California divorce attorney who bought rental properties on the beach. "It seems that the Open Beaches Act - at leas...more
Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup set for April 28
March 29, 2012(AUSTIN)—Thousands of volunteers across the state are making plans now to take part in the Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup Saturday, April 28. Texas - home to the nation's first all-volunteer beach cleanup in 1986 - boasts one of the biggest all-volunteer beach cleanups in the wor...more
High school students compete to create anti-litter PSA
February 16, 2012(AUSTIN)—A 30-second video depicting how litter can make its way to the Texas coast might just be the big break for some Central Texas high school film maker. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is calling for entries to the Trash Travels High School PSA contest. All entries must be exactly 30...more
Adopt-A-Beach cleanup nets more than three tons of trash
February 13, 2012(AUSTIN)—Cigarette butts, beer cans, dirty diapers and more - volunteers at Saturday's Winter Beach Cleanup picked up more than three tons of trash from Coastal Bend beaches. A total of 261 volunteers focused their efforts on Corpus Christi Beach at the Texas State Aquarium, Port Aransas beaches ...more
Winter Texans join forces for Adopt-A-Beach cleanup
February 13, 2012(AUSTIN)—Winter Texans from all over the United States and Canada pitched in Saturday to haul 6,875 pounds of trash - more than 3.4 tons - from South Padre Island's Edwin Atwood Park. A total of 63 volunteers checked in for the Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Winter Texan Cleanup, removing...more
Coastal Bend beach lovers take out the trash
January 26, 2012(AUSTIN)—Texans who love Coastal Bend beaches but hate the beer cans, diapers and cigarette butts that too often adorn them will join forces at four locations Saturday, Feb. 11 for the Adopt-A-Beach Winter Cleanup. "Trash on Texas beaches is a growing problem," said Texas Land Commissio...more
Winter Texans take on trash, need your help
January 26, 2012(AUSTIN)—Winter Texans who love Texas beaches but hate seeing them trashed will join forces Friday, Feb. 10 at Edwin Atwood Park for the Adopt-A-Beach South Padre Island Winter Texan Cleanup. "Winter Texans come to South Padre Island because they love our beaches, not our trash," said Texas Land ...more
2011
Adopt-A-Beach Marine Debris Summit targets trash on beaches
December 15, 2011(AUSTIN)—Diapers, beer cans and cigarette butts - trash on Texas beaches is a growing problem. Be part of the solution by attending the first-ever Adopt-A-Beach Marine Debris Summit from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, January 13 at Moody Gardens Convention Center on Galveston Island. The conference ...more
Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest opens
December 14, 2011(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is calling for entries in the 16th annual Adopt-A-Beach "Treasures of the Texas Coast" Children's Art Contest. The deadline to submit artwork is Monday, March 5. "The goal of this art contest is to drive home the message that trashing Texa...more
Post-Rollover pier plan presented for public comment
December 09, 2011(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today released his proposed plan to build a pier on Bolivar Peninsula for public comment as the closure of Rollover Pass nears. The Texas Legislature authorized $5.85 million in 2009 to close the popular fishing pass following Hurricane Ike's devast...more
Land Office helps turn Eagle Otome spill into better parks for Port Arthur
October 27, 2011(AUSTIN)—Port Arthur parks will soon get upgrades worth more than $313,000 as part of a settlement the General Land Office has reached over the Eagle Otome spill, which put nearly 397,000 gallons of crude oil into the Port Arthur Ship Channel. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson anno...more
Adopt-A-Beach volunteers find the coast is pretty clear
September 26, 2011(AUSTIN)—More volunteers picked up less trash at the 25th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup Saturday, prompting speculation that - after 25 years - Texans are starting to get the message. "Despite an amazing turnout, we picked up 20-percent less trash than last fall," sai...more
25th annual Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup Sept. 24
August 15, 2011(AUSTIN)—The 25th Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup will be held Saturday, Sept. 24 at 29 sites along the Texas coast. Adopt-A-Beach volunteers can register at any of 28 check-in sites all along the Texas coast between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Sept. 24. Volunteers must pre-regist...more
Oil spill prevention efforts in Texas lauded by EPA
August 08, 2011(AUSTIN)—A state and local effort that's kept boaters from pumping more than 1.3 million gallons of oily bilge water into Texas coastal waters earned national recognition this week. The General Land Office's Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program and the Matagorda County Navigation District No....more
General Land Office expands disaster recovery role
July 08, 2011(AUSTIN)—Hurricane disaster recovery in Texas will be put on the fast track as the Texas General Land Office expands its rebuilding role following Dolly and Ike. The Land Office is now the lead state agency managing disaster recovery grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developm...more
Texas Coastal Expo comes to Moody Gardens
June 14, 2011(AUSTIN)—The Texas Coastal Expo is coming to Galveston's Moody Gardens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 18. This free and family-friendly celebration of the Texas Coast - brought to you by the Texas General Land Office - is the biggest coastal expo in Texas. "Bring the kids, we'll have touch ...more
More than 7,000 volunteers haul 123 tons of trash off Texas beaches
May 03, 2011(AUSTIN)—The 25th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup drew more than 7,000 volunteers to the Texas coast Saturday. "No one can top our Adopt-A-Beach volunteers," said Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the General Land Office. "In one day, they swarmed over 150 miles of bea...more
Patterson defends open beaches Tuesday
April 18, 2011(AUSTIN)—A California attorney's assault on the Texas Open Beaches Act will face a stiff defense Tuesday from Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. In a rare rehearing, the Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against the Texas tradition of public beach access at 9 a.m. Following the...more
Gabrielle Wenske, of Victoria, takes top honors at Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest
April 12, 2011(AUSTIN)—Victoria 11-year-old Gabrielle Wenske's image of a surf shack on a Texas beach won grand prize in the General Land Office's 2011 Treasures of the Texas Coast Children's Art Contest. "The colors in Gabrielle's art really jumped out, and the message ‘Trashing Texas Beaches Isn't C...more
Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup set for April 30
March 28, 2011(AUSTIN)— The 25th annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup will take place Saturday, April 30th at 30 sites along the Texas coast. "Bring the family and let's go clean the beach," said Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. "The Adopt-A-Beac...more
Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to be dedicated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 22
March 18, 2011(AUSTIN)—The Texas General Land Office and the University of Texas Marine Science Institute are proud to announce the grand opening of the Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at the Animal Rehabilitation Keep. The dedication ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 22 at the University of Texas...more
Surfside Beach is back, just in time for Spring Break
March 14, 2011(SURFSIDE, Texas)—Spring Break revelers hit the new-and-improved Surfside Beach Monday, where the General Land Office just finished work on a $4.7 million effort to restore this iconic Texas surf spot to its former glory. Surfside Mayor Larry Davidson and Larry Laine, chief clerk at the General Land Office...more
Surfside Beach restored to former glory
March 11, 2011(AUSTIN)—Just in time for Spring Break, work to restore Surfside Beach to its former glory is complete. A rededication of this iconic Texas surf spot will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 14 on Surfside Beach, near the intersection of Texas Street and Beach Drive. Larry Laine, former Surfside resi...more
Texas Open Beaches Act gets second chance
March 11, 2011(AUSTIN)—Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today welcomed news that the Supreme Court will rehear arguments in a case brought forward by a California resident that some say has gutted the Texas Open Beaches Act. "This is nothing less than a second chance for the Texas Open Beaches Act," Patt...more
Texas City pipeline leak contained, Moses Lake protected
February 24, 2011(AUSTIN)—A pipeline leak near Texas City's Bayou Pierre is contained, and local, state and federal authorities are overseeing the cleanup of an unknown amount of gasoline. At 3:30 a.m. today Magellan Pipeline reported that an 18-inch gasoline pipeline near State Highway 146 and Loop 197 in Texas C...more
Adopt-A-Beach Celebrates 25th Anniversary
February 18, 2011(AUSTIN)—Ronald Reagan was president, Top Gun was the top draw at the box office and 2,800 Texans volunteered for the inaugural General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in 1986. Since then, the General Land Office's Adopt-A-Beach Program has grown into one of the most successful all-volunteer eff...more
Adopt-A-Beach volunteers pickup more than 5.7 tons of trash
February 14, 2011(AUSTIN)—Volunteers at Saturday's Winter Beach Cleanup picked up more than 5.7 tons of trash from Coastal Bend beaches. Volunteers focused their efforts on Corpus Christi Beach at the Texas State Aquarium, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Bayside and the Padre Island National Seashore. ...more
Winter Texans brave cold for Adopt-A-Beach cleanup
February 14, 2011(AUSTIN)—Winter Texans who can't stand to see trash on Texas beaches did more than just complain Friday - 36 volunteers removed more than 1,650 pounds of the stuff from Edwin Atwood Park. The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Winter Texan Beach Cleanup drew volunteers from...more
Patterson announces $1.7 million in grants for Texas coast
February 07, 2011(AUSTIN)—Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, today announced grants for 16 projects worth $1.7 million to protect and preserve the Texas coast. "These projects will get a lot of bang for the buck, restoring vital marshlands, improving public access to the beach and even...more
Seventh annual Coastal Bend Winter Beach Clean up Feb. 12
January 19, 2011(AUSTIN)—The Seventh Annual Coastal Bend Winter Beach Cleanup will be held Saturday, February 12 announced Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The cleanups will take place at five locations along the Coastal Bend shoreline. "The volunteers who help out with the Adopt-A-Beach Wint...more
Adopt-A-Beach Winter Texan Beach Clean up Feb. 11
January 18, 2011(AUSTIN)—The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Winter Texan Beach Cleanup will be Friday, Feb. 11 at Edwin Atwood Park, announced Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The cleanup begins with volunteer registration at 8:30 a.m. and lasts until noon. "Winter Texans h...more
2010
Adopt-A-Beach Treasures of the Texas Coast art contest opens
December 13, 2010(AUSTIN)—Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, is calling on Texas students to participate in the 15th annual Adopt-A-Beach "Treasures of the Texas Coast" Children's Art Contest. The deadline to submit artwork is Tuesday, March 1, 2011. "Trashing Texas Beaches i...more
West Galveston Island beach project is cancelled
November 15, 2010(AUSTIN)—Work on a vital West Galveston Island beach renourishment project (CEPRA 1391) has stopped and the project is cancelled, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson announced today. The $40 million effort to restore and nourish six miles of beach - from the west end of the Galveston Seawall t...more
Adopt-A-Beach volunteers cleanup 172.7 tons of trash
September 27, 2010(AUSTIN)—More than 8,815 volunteers joined forces Saturday for the 24th Annual Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup. The volunteers removed nearly 172.7 tons of trash off more than 167 miles of Texas coast. "The turnout this year was great," said Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patte...more
24th Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup Sept. 25
August 26, 2010(AUSTIN)—The 24th Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup will be held Saturday, Sept. 25 at 28 sites along the Texas coast. "Any day is a good day to go the beach, but Adopt-A-Beach Cleanups are something special," said Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. "Come on down for a fun...more