Best Management Practice Recommendations For Seaweed Relocation Activities,

Abstract

This document has been prepared to help enhance the beach experience and improve environmental stewardship for the benefit of all beach visitors. The beaches of Galveston provide many unique and diverse recreational opportunities while serving as one of the Island’s primary economic engines that provide fully a third of all jobs within the city and are a major factor in Galveston’s future economic development. Given the critical importance of beaches, this document is intended to establish a framework to promote the use of a common terminology, environmentally responsible beach maintenance practices, and to provide a safe and aesthetically pleasing beach environment. These recommendations seek to foster the use of sustainable beach maintenance practices that provide the greatest public benefit, enacted in consideration for local beach dynamics, while using the least intrusive method possible. Many considerations factor into the decision process including: necessity, seasonal and species windows, potential impacts of activity, avoidance of native vegetation, and proximity to visitors. It can often be appropriate to take no action dependent on the location, volume of seaweed and time of year. The most common beach maintenance practices include seaweed relocation, litter control, and debris removal.