Whereas, America’s and specifically Galveston County’s beaches are home to some of the nations most precious natural resources. Beyond their intrinsic natural beauty, healthy beaches provide effective storm damage protection, offer residents and visitors unequaled recreational opportunities, and provide unique environmental habitat. Together with coastal wetlands, bird refuges, estuaries, ports, intra-coastal waterways and other resources, our coastal regions are economic engines filled with recreational opportunities and environmental treasures that deserve to be preserved and protected. America’s beaches are major tourist destinations for millions of domestic and foreign visitors, providing jobs and business profits which, in turn, produce billions of dollars in tax revenue for the federal government, as well as state and local governments; and

Whereas, it is imperative the federal government acknowledge its role and responsibility for continued support of our nation’s public shores and beaches.

Now, Therefore, Be it Resolved that the West Galveston Island Property Owners Association calls upon its federal legislators to help enact Galveston County’s 2005 Coastal Federal Legislative Agenda including the following actions:

• Assist in the reprogramming of $400,000 of Corps of Engineers funding in FY2005 for the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Feasibility Study to offset the difference in appropriated funding compared to USACE execution capability;

• Support increased funding of beach restoration projects with a national goal of $150 million in FY2006 and beyond;

• Support enactment of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in 2005 including a new authority for the Corps of Engineers to use regional sand management and watershed management planning in all coastal regions of the United States;

• Draft and approve legislative language counting recreation benefits equally with storm damage reduction and environmental benefits and to recognize the benefits derived from beach nourishment as pre- and post-disaster mitigation;

• Support language providing for the funding of coastal projects from revenues derived from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas activities and examine the formula to ensure it is equitable to Texas and Galveston County;

• Support funding for the National Shoreline Technology Demonstration Program (Section 227 Program) at no less than $6 million in FY2006 and funding for the National Shoreline Study at no less than $500,000 in FY2006;and funding for the Regional Sediment Management Demonstration programs.;

• Urge Congress to reauthorize the BEACH Act to provide the public with greater assurance of clean water in which to swim.