Frequently Asked Questions

Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Texas

This page is updated when inquiries about the MANERR are general in nature.

• How big is the site?

Most NERR sites are around 5000 acres, but some are well over 100,000 acres.  Texas bays and estuaries are large.  Typically the distance between a tidal segment of a river and inlet to the Gulf of Mexico is 15 - 30 miles.  Most Texas Bays are around 50,000 acres.  So a site including a primary and secondary bay will be at least 100,000 acres in water surface area alone.  The Texas NERR is about 186,000 acres and will be the third largest.

 

• Is the site on public or private land?

The site encompasses State bay waters (where most of the area will reside) and State wetlands, which are controlled by the Texas General Land Office. Most of the dry land resides in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and the Matagorda National Wildlife Refuge.  State submerged lands comprise 65% of the total NERR.  Federal land  comprises 33% of the total NERR.  Other land owners participating in the program are the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, The Coastal Bend Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Fennessey Ranch, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Texas Department of Transportation.

 

• Is the NERR site pristine?

NERR sites should be relatively uninfluenced by human activities, but depending on how strict a definition is used, just about everything could be excluded or included. In fact, the Texas coast is about the most pristine coast in the entire continental US because the population density is relatively low.  The MANERR site is amongst the most pristine in Texas.

 

• How was the site selected?

The site was chosen based on consensus of all stakeholders. The first Site Selection Committee Workshop (8/29/02) was attended by 120 people.  About 115 sites were nominated in the first workshop.  These sites were evaluated by the Site Evaluation Subcommittee by comparing sites to criteria. The results of these meetings can be found in the site selection meeting notes.   About 97 people attended the second Site Selection Committee Workshop (1/23/03) and made the final decision.  A complete description of the site selection process is available in the draft Site Nomination Document and Appendices.

 

• Will there be new rules or restrictions for the site?

No. This is a non-regulatory program. The land owners still maintain control of property and use existing regulations to control their property.

 

• Then why is it called a reserve?

It is a protection program.  But the protections come from existing rules, not new rules.  Texas has sufficient coastal protection in place, most notably from the Coastal Management Program.  In addition, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulates recreational and commercial fisheries, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulates water and air discharges and quality, and Texas General Land Office and Texas Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry.  Sufficient protections are already in place.

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