Moda and Galveston Bay Foundation Announce Partnership to Establish a Coastal Wetlands Preserve for Galveston Bay

• Multi-year financial and volunteer commitment establishes the Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve to be located at the new Gessner Center in Kemah, Texas.
• Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve establishes a natural barrier that will reduce the impact of extreme weather events while concurrently serving as a natural carbon sink.

HOUSTON –  Moda Midstream, LLC (Moda) and the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) today announced a partnership to create and preserve coastal wetlands. As an initial step, Moda has committed financial support to create the Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve at GBF’s to-be-built Gessner Center that will house GBF’s education center and headquarters in Kemah, Texas.

The Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve will include a living shoreline and bulkhead that will create new coastal wetlands along more than 1,000 feet of Galveston Bay shoreline. In addition to stabilizing coastal waterfront, living shorelines provide many benefits, including flood control and water quality improvements. Coastal wetlands also create resiliency to extreme weather events, prevent erosion and provide natural filtration for polluted runoff. The Galveston Bay Foundation also reports that Texas coastal wetlands provide nursery habitat for over 90% of the recreational and commercial fish species found in the Gulf of Mexico. Construction on the bulkhead portion of the Moda Marsh and Wetlands Preserve is scheduled to begin in late February.

In addition to the benefits listed above, coastal wetlands also have strong carbon sequestration benefits because coastal wetlands act as a natural carbon sink. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS), wetlands annually sequester carbon at a rate that is up to ten times greater than the rate at which mature tropical forests sequester carbon. Additionally, according to NOS, coastal wetlands have a much higher carbon storage capacity and contain large stores of carbon accumulated over hundreds to thousands of years.

“We are proud to support the Galveston Bay Foundation’s efforts to preserve and protect the beauty and viability of Galveston Bay, the Houston area’s largest and most important natural resource and home to both our headquarters and our Vopak Moda Houston Terminal,” said Moda Midstream CEO and Founder Jonathan Z. Ackerman. “The location of the Moda preserve at Galveston Bay Foundation’s education center will promote awareness and appreciation for Galveston Bay, while educating visitors about the benefits of preserving wetlands and creating living shorelines. It will also increase public interest and understanding of how nature-based carbon solutions – such as coastal wetland preservation and restoration – help mitigate man-made emissions.”

“Erosion is a constant threat for shorelines across Galveston Bay,” said Galveston Bay Foundation President Bob Stokes. “We are excited to partner with Moda to protect this important shoreline and help preserve the Galveston Bay watershed as a thriving ecological anchor for generations to come.  We are very fortunate to be partnering with a company that highly values environmental stewardship.”

Moda is also increasing incentives for team members who support the Galveston Bay Foundation. Today, Moda matches employee giving on a one-for-one basis. Going forward, Moda will double the matching rate for donations to the Galveston Bay Foundation. Moda will also engage in volunteer opportunities with the Galveston Bay Foundation. Moda’s next service day will be spent supporting the Galveston Bay Foundation, which provides numerous volunteer opportunities in and around Galveston Bay. Last year, 2,493 people volunteered 9,500 hours to benefit the GBF mission.

About the Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve
The Moda Marsh & Wetlands Preserve will include a living shoreline and bulkhead to provide two layers of defense from coastal erosion for the property. The living shoreline will create new coastal wetlands along more than 1,000 feet of Galveston Bay shoreline in Kemah, Texas. Galveston Bay Foundation’s planned Gessner Center, including the foundation’s education center and headquarters, will be located on the 30+ acre property. Coastal wetlands also create resiliency to extreme weather events, provide natural filtration for polluted runoff and serve as natural carbon sinks. 

About Moda Midstream, LLC
Moda Midstream, LLC develops advantaged and sophisticated infrastructure for storing and handling liquids products that are essential to our economy and our way of life. Moda helps customers increase the efficiency and protect the integrity of their supply chains.  Moda’s mission is to be the logistics and terminaling provider of choice by delivering safe, reliable and sustainable solutions. Moda is backed by EnCap Flatrock Midstream. Please visit www.modamidstream.com.

About EnCap Flatrock Midstream
EnCap Flatrock Midstream provides value-added growth capital to proven management teams focused on midstream infrastructure opportunities across North America. The firm was formed in 2008 by a partnership between EnCap Investments L.P. and Flatrock Energy Advisors, LLC. Based in San Antonio with offices in Oklahoma City and Houston, the firm manages investment commitments of over $9 billion from a broad group of prestigious institutional investors. For more information, please visit efmidstream.com.

About the Galveston Bay Foundation
Established in 1987, the Galveston Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come. It implements diverse programs in land preservation, habitat restoration, water quality and quantity, youth education, and advocacy. Galveston Bay Foundation has conserved almost 15,000 acres of coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements. GBF continues to actively expand its land conservation efforts within the Galveston Bay Watershed, focusing on protecting a wide range of habitats and land uses including freshwater and estuarine wetlands, tallgrass prairies, coastal forests, and various agricultural lands.  GBF is a member of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) and was accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission in 2013 and re-accredited in 2019. GBF is also a participating member of the Texas Land Trust Council (TLTC). For further information, contact GBF at (281)332-3381, visit www.galvbay.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on twitter @GBayFoundation.

Media Contact:
Bevo Beaven
Redbird Communications Group
720-666-5064
bevo@redbirdpr.com