Date: Jan. 7, 2009
Tags: Texas, Gulf, Gulf Of Mexico, Storms, Storm Surges, Hurricanes, Texas Gulf Coast, Texas Gulf Coast Development, Coastal Development, Hurrican Damages
This past summer, Hurricane Ike hit the upper Texas coast. The areas hardest hit by Ike's surge were Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Island, and Surfside Beach. Texas Land Commissioner, Jerry Patterson, saw this devastation as a signal to assess dune protection setback rules. Dune setback rules regulate how far structures need to be built from beaches in order to protect dunes and to allow for eroding beaches. According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Sept. 24, 2008, News Section, Main Edition, p. A06, Galveston city officials opposed an earlier proposal, seeing dune setback rules as a "land grab" by the State of Texas.
Development on Mustang Island is subject to such dune setbacks. Mustang Island, located in Nueces County, Texas, is a " 'good example of how coastal land should be developed, ' " said James Gibeaut, a coastal geologist, and Land commisioner Patterson in the Fort Worth Star Telegram article. Patterson stated that Mustang Island is a wider Island and that the road is set back farther from the beach . . " 'You just don't have the same kind of room in other places.' " said Patterson.
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