Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (Gulf-Houston RCP) was established in 2014 by Houston Wilderness in collaboration with a 25-person RCP Steering Committee of environmental, business, and governmental entities, and Science Task Force of environmental and soil experts in the region. The long-term Gulf-Houston RCP collaborative works together to support and implement large-scale projects that provide ecosystem resilience and sustainability for the Gulf-Houston region - targeting 3 Key Goals, that set out to advance nature-based solutions orginally across the eight-county region - Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties. As the Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (RCP) marks its 10-year milestone, we are celebrating the 1st Decade of transformative progress with local and regional entities and looking ahead to the 2nd decade of environmental enhancements. Starting in 2025, the Gulf-Houston RCP coverage area has been expanded to include the five (5) inland counties (Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, and Liberty, AND now 15 coastal counties - from Jefferson County on the northern Texas coast westward to Cameron County on the far south of the Texas coast. The 1st Key Goal will continue to concentrate on the 8-county Gulf-Houston region, while the 2nd & 3rd Key Goal will include projects in all the coastal counties.

STATUS OF THE THREE KEY GOALS

(1) 24% by 2040 - Increasing the current 16.3% in protected/preserved land in the eight-county region to 24% of land coverage by 2040 (includes Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties)
(2) 50% by 2040 - Increasing and supporting the land and water management efforts to install nature-based infrastructure on 50% of public and private lands by 2040 (includes the five (5) inland counties - Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, and Liberty, and the 15 coastal counties - from Jefferson County on the northern Texas coast westward to Cameron County on the far south of the Texas coast)
(3) Annual Carbon Sequestration - Substantial implementation of native vegetation annually that provides green and blue carbon ecosystem increases through carbon absorption in native soils, plants, trees, and oyster reefs throughout the inland and coastal counties region (includes the five (5) inland counties - Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, and Liberty, and the 15 coastal counties - from Jefferson County on the northern Texas coast westward to Cameron County on the far south of the Texas coast)

Gulf-Houston RCP Expanded Coverage Area for 2nd Decade Goal Objectives to include the five (5) inland counties - Harris, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, and Liberty, and all 15 Texas Coastal Counties

Houston Wilderness thanks the many Public and Private Supporters of the Gulf-Houston RCP during the past decade and beyond!

Gulf-Houston RCP Media Release on the 1st Decade Successes

1st Key Goal - Protected/Preserved Lands

REGIONAL ACTIONS FOR THREE KEY GOALS:

(1) 24% in protected/preserved land by 2040 - See Action One-Pager Here to achieve 24% in protected/preserved land in the 8-county region, and major regional initiatives providing opportunities to add protected/preserved land below.