Save Bolivar Flats
Update: August 13, 2025
Update: August 9, 2025
Update: July 18, 2025
Update: January 2025
Good news! Houston Audubon is under contract to purchase this property! Thanks to the public support we've received, the developer approached Houston Audubon with the opportunity to purchase it, which will allow us to protect this critical habitat.
Donations can be made by using the button at the top of the page. If you are interested in finding out more about the campaign or supporting the project with a gift or pledge, please contact Aimee Friend at afriend@houstonaudubon.org or call 281-300-4918. Donations will be accepted until December 31, 2025. Cash donations, stocks or appreciated assets, donor-advised funds, and IRA distributions are accepted as well as the option to pledge now and pay later.
The Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary in Port Bolivar, Texas, is at risk from a nearby development, the Sanderling Subdivision, which plans to build 30 homesites on 52 acres of non-tidal wetlands adjacent to the sanctuary. This globally important area is a critical habitat for the federally protected Black Rail, Piping Plover and Red Knot among many other species. It is not just a sanctuary; it is a haven for thousands of birds, playing a pivotal role in their wintering, migrating and breeding cycles. Birdwatchers from around the world visit the area, drawn by its unique and vibrant birdlife.
You can continue to help us protect this critical habitat by spreading the word among your network and contacting your local elected officials to express your dismay with the Sanderling housing development. The aim is to educate them about the harmful impacts coastal developments can have on birds and other wildlife, and request a more thorough review of coastal development applications in the future. Please spread the message to your friends, family and networks to help us protect this critical habitat.
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Templates to contact your elected officials
Some of the Birds Who Use Bolivar Flats
*Threatened/endangered species
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March 19, 2023 Update
A BIG thank you to the individuals and organizations that submitted comments and made calls in response to the COE public notice for the Bolivar Beach Housing Development. The project plans will undergo further review by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and other federal and state agencies before the corps will make a determination. If approved, the subdivision plat will go to the Galveston County Commissioners Court for a vote and final approval. This would be our last opportunity to voice our concerns. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share further updates.
