ESI Updates: Priority Protection Areas and Human-use Resources Maps

The Harte Research Institute (HRI) and Research Planning, Inc. (RPI) are partnering to support the Texas General Land Office (GLO) in oil spill preparedness and response.

The GLO was established by the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1991 (OSPRA), Chapter 40 of the Texas Natural Resources Code as the lead agency for coastal and marine oil spill prevention and response. Together, HRI and RPI are combining their expertise in coastal science, GIS technology, and oil spill response planning to enhance GLO’s preparedness and operational capabilities.  

HRI has mapped and compiled information on coastal environments for use in oil spill planning and coastal management and produced the currently used Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) shoreline type mapping for Texas. ESI maps are essential tools for oil spill contingency planning and response. They provide critical information to guide decision-making during spill incidents. RPI has spent more than 45 years providing sensitive biological resources information in the way of products and reports to local communities and state and federal agencies for oil spill planning and response and coastal management. RPI also identified and mapped human-use resources that are vulnerable to oil spills, such as Federally Managed Lands and Critical Habitats and resources that are necessary to support oil spill response activities. 

This project will enhance TGLO’s oil spill planning and response capabilities. Our work will identify, collect, and compile sensitive biological resources for the Texas ESI for marine mammals and herpetofauna, and human-use resources useful to oil spill response. Further, the Texas Priority Protection Areas (PPA), specific coastal locations containing sensitive habitats or species that require special protection during oil spills, will be updated working with natural resource experts. Lastly, the team will engage the Texas GLO’s State Scientific Support Coordinator for Oil Spill Prevention & Response to identify human-use resources and infrastructure critical to oil spill response. 

HRI and RPI intend to support TGLO through research and product innovations related to data development, data collection, and decision support. Our objectives are to enhance TGLO’s capabilities to protect sensitive and natural resources and to inform the wider oil spill planning and response community.