The Galveston County Daily News

GALVESTON — State officials this week recommended against awarding an $11 million grant for a nonprofit group to buy 339 acres of undeveloped wetlands and coastal prairie on the island’s West End.

Environmental education and conservation group Artist Boat applied for the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program money to buy the bay-front land from developer Marquette Land Investments. The grants are administered by the state.

After reviewing all of the applications for the grant funds, state officials recommended the money go to buy generators instead, Artist Boat Executive Director Karla Klay told the city council Thursday.

Gov. Rick Perry must decide which application he wants to approve.

When Artist Boat filed its application, island leaders and environmentalists flooded Perry’s office with e-mails, letters and faxes urging him to save one of the island’s most ecologically diverse pieces of land.

Klay asked her supporters to bombard the governor with pleas one more time in hopes of swaying him in their favor.

Although helpful after a storm, generators will not create the same kind of damage prevention the undeveloped preserve would, she said.

“This is a short-term use of these funds, and the proposal submitted to acquire land on Galveston has a more meaningful and longer-term impact on the ability of west Galveston Island to weather storms due to the immense benefit open space provides as a hazard mitigation mechanism,” she said in an e-mail to supporters sent Thursday.

Marquette planned to turn the site, which sits east of 11 Mile Road and north of Settegast Road, into a 35-acre marina and residential subdivision. The property is part of a 1,058-acre development that will include a 15-story resort hotel, 4,000 condominiums and houses and an 18-hole golf course.

Darren Sloniger and his partners agreed to sell Klay the land for $15 million and agreed to donate one-quarter of the sale price. Federal regulations allow the grant to cover only 75 percent of the cost.

Klay expects Perry to make his decision by early next week.

Reporter Leigh Jones can be reached at 409-683-5230 or leigh.jones(at)galvnews.com.

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How to help

Letters supporting Artist Boat’s grant application can be sent to:

Gov. Rick Perry

c/o Ellen Witt

Director, Division of Disaster Recovery/Renewal

P.O. Box 12428

Austin, TX 78711

512-936-3857 (phone)

512-936-4318 (fax)