Framework for action: Galveston Bay management evaluation

The regulatory framework for protecting the environment of Galveston Bay is very complex, involving literally hundreds of laws and every level of government. One way to order the complex regulatory framework is to evaluate programs according to problem areas. The GBNEP has developed a list of ten action plan topics, or areas for which it intended to develop action plans as part of its comprehensive management program. Each chapter includes a one-page summary of the regulatory framework and GBNEP's evaluation of it. Chapters include: 1) Introduction and Evaluation Criteria, 2) Galveston Bay, 3) Point Sources, 4) Nonpoint Sources, 5) Spills/Dumping, 6) Dredging/Filling, 7) Freshwater Inflow, 8) Shoreline Development, 9) Habitat Protection, 10) Species Protection, 11) Human Health, 12) Subsidence/Shoreline Erosion, 13) Management Topics, 14) Managing the Bay, 15) Conclusions and Recommendations.