Texas Conservation Groups Urge The Navy Not To Bomb In The Upper Laguna Madre

Ten Texas environmental and conservation organizations sent a letter today to Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, urging him to end further consideration of the Laguna Madre area of Texas as a possible bombing and training site for Navy and Marine operations. The letter, which was signed by Environmental Defense, Texas Center for Policy Studies, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Texas Committee on Natural Resources, American Farmland Trust, Texas Clean Water Fund, Frontera Audubon Society, National Parks and Conservation Association, and the Lower Laguna Madre Foundation, expressed the groups’ concerns about the impact that bombing exercises would have on the fish and wildlife that depend on the Padre Island National Seashore, Laguna Madre, and surrounding upland areas.

“The stretch of coastline under consideration by the Navy is one of the most environmentally significant areas in Texas and one of the most biologically diverse in the United States,” said Melinda Taylor, an attorney for Environmental Defense. “The impacts of bombing and training maneuvers on rare species, as well as on the fishing and recreational industries in the area, would be irreversible and devastating.”

“Commercial and recreational fishing and the growing nature tourism industry contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy of South Texas,” said Mary Kelly, executive director of the Texas Center for Policy Studies. “These activities would be seriously harmed by Navy’s training activities.”

The upper Laguna Madre, an area south of Corpus Christi, is a pristine, sparsely populated region that supports a productive estuary for fish and provides habitat for a number of endangered species, including Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, the piping plover, and the brown pelican. It is important for ranching and is a prime destination for birders and others interested in nature and outdoor recreation.

The conservation organizations encouraged the Navy not to waste time and resources pursuing the Laguna Madre site for bombing and training. They offered to work with the Navy to provide information on the natural resources, tourism, recreational and cultural values that would be impacted by a military training operation.