AUSTIN — Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announced the results of the Galveston County Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP). During the VTIP, 52 boats were relinquished, totaling 927 linear feet, with 155 gallons of fuel recovered.

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) partnered with Galveston County and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to provide the residents of Galveston County with this free event to dispose of inoperable vessels.

Watch a special video created by Galveston County about the VTIP by clicking the image below:

VTIP provides owners with a free and voluntary method to dispose of their vessels and boats. The GLO sponsors the removal of all fuel, oil, and batteries and TPWD verifies ownership and clears the vessels for disposal.

Removing abandoned vessels from coastal waters comes at a considerable expense—around $500 per foot. The GLO and its partners encourage communities to participate in VTIPs to avoid these steep costs and to keep their boats from becoming environmental or safety hazards.

Since it began in 2015, VTIP has hosted 38 events in various coastal communities— in total, 1,504 derelict and inoperable boats measuring 24,484 linear feet have been removed from coastal areas through these essential programs.