SECTION 15.51. Policy; Scope of Rules; Definitions

(a) Policy. The protection and preservation of certain of the coastal wetlands of this state are essential to the public interest. The General Land Office incorporates by reference the policy statement as set forth in Texas Natural Resources Code §33.232.

(b) Scope of rules. These rules set forth the factors which will be considered by the commissioner in selecting and certifying to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department those coastal wetlands which are most essential to the public interest; in assigning priorities for acquisition of such coastal wetlands; and in revoking certification of such coastal wetlands whenever it is in the public interest. These rules also set forth the process which the commissioner will employ in certifying those coastal wetlands which are most essential to the public interest.

(c) Definition. The following definitions are intended to assist the public in understanding the impact and scope of these rules. For the purposes of these rules only:

(1) Commissioner--The commissioner of the General Land Office.

(2) Coastal wetlands--Highly productive coastal natural systems composed of waters, substrate, vegetation, and animal life. Coastal wetlands mean marshes and other areas of high biologic productivity where seawater is present during times other than and in addition to storms or hurricanes as defined by the Beaufort Wind Scale. Coastal wetlands do not, however, include any areas seaward of the line of mean annual low spring tide, nor does it include any mainland area where seawater is present only during storms or hurricanes as defined by the Beaufort Wind Scale.

(3) Marshes--Includes only coastal marshes. Coastal marshes are land areas within coastal wetlands that contain seawater and are characterized by plants that are emergent, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes. Marshes must include one or more of the following species of vegetation.

(A) Grasses and grass-like plants. (Scientific name--common name.)

(i) Cyperus haspan L.--sheathed flatsedge.

(ii) C. polystachyos Rottb. var. texensis (Torr.) Fern.--umbrella sedge.

(iii) Dichromena colorata (L.) A.S. Hitchc.--starrush whitetop.

(iv) Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene var. spicata--seashore saltgrass.

(v) Eleocharis albida Torr.--white spikesedge.

(vi) E. caribaea (Rottb.) Blake--spikesedge.

(vii) E. interstincta (Vahl) Roemer & Schultes--gulfcoast spikesedge.

(viii) Fimbristylis caroliniana (Lam.) Fern.--fimbry.

(ix) F. Castanea Vahl--fimbry.

(x) F. puberula (Michx.) Vahl var. puberula--fimbry.

(xi) Fuirena squarrosa Michx.--hairy umbrella sedge.

(xii) F. simplex Vahl--western umbrella sedge.

(xiii) Juncus marginatus Rostk.--grassleaf rush.

(xiv) J. Roemerianus Scheele--needlegrass rush.

(xv) J. validus Cov. var. validus--roundhead rush.

(xvi) J. validus Cov. var. fascinatus M.C. Johnst.--roundhead rush.

(xvii) Monanthochloe littoralis Englem.--shoregrass.

(xviii) Parapholis incurva (L.) C.E. Hubb.--sicklesgrass.

(xix) Paspalum vaginatum Swartz--seashore paspalm.

(xx) Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin.--common reed.

(xxi) Scirpus californicus (C.A. Meyer) Steud.--California bullrush.

(xxii) S. maritimus L. var. macrostachyus Michx.--saltmarsh bullrush.

(xxiii) S. americanus Pers. var. longispicatus Britt.--three-square bullrush.

(xxiv) Spartina alterniflora Loisel. var. alterniflora--smooth cordgrass.

(xxv) S. cynosuroides (L.) Roth--big cordgrass.

(xxvi) S. patens (Ait.) Muhl.--marshay cordgrass.

(xxvii) S. spartinae (Trin.) Hitchc.--gulf cordgrass.

(xxviii) Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth--seashore dropseed.

(xxix) S. pyramidatus (Lam.) Hitchc.--whorled dropseed.

(xxx) Zizaniopsis miliacea (Michx.) Doell and Aschers--marshmillet.

(B) Other marsh plants. (Scientific name--common name.)

(i) Agalinis heterophylla (Nutt.) Small--prairie Agalinis.

(ii) A. maritima Raf. var. grandiflora (Benth.) Shinners--seaside gerardia.

(iii) Amaranthus spinosus L.--spiny amaranth.

(iv) Avicennia germinans (L.) L.--black mangrove.

(v) Batis maritima L.--saltwort.

(vi) Borrichia frutescens (L.) DC.--bushy sea oxeye.

(vii) Cakile fusiformis Greene--sea rocket.

(viii) C. geniculata (Robins.) Millsp.--sea rocket.

(ix) Heliotropium curassavicum L.--salt heliotrope.

(x) Iva frutescens L. var. frutescens--bigleaf sumpweed.

(xi) I. frutescens L. var. oraria (Bartlett) Fern. & Grisc.--bigleaf sumpweed.

(xii) I. angustifolia DC.--sumpweed.

(xiii) Limonium Nashii Small var. Nashii--sea lavendar.

(xiv) L. Nashii Small var. angustatum (Grah) Ahles--sea lavendar.

(xv) Lycium carolinianum (Moc. & Sesse) C.L. Hitchc.--Carolina wolfberry.

(xvi) Machaeranthera phyllocephala (DC.) Shinners--camphor daisy.

(xvii) Philoxerus vermicularis (L.) R. BR.--silverhead.

(xviii) Salicornia Bigelovii Torr.--glasswort.

(xix) S. virginica L.--Virginia glasswort.

(xx) Samolus ebracteatus H.B.K.--water pipernel.

(xxi) Sesuvium erectum Correll--sea purslane.

(xxii) S. maritimum (Walt.) B.S.P.--coast sesuvium.

(xxiii) S. Portulacastrum L.--sea purslane.

(xxiv) S. trianthemoides Correll--sea purslane.

(xxv) Solidago sempervirens L. var. mexicana (L.) Fern.--seaside goldenrod.

(xxvi) Suaeda conferta (Small) I.M. Johnst.--seablite.

(xxvii) S. linearis (Ell.) Moq.--annual seepweed.

(xxviii) Typha angustifolia L.--narrow-leaved cattail.

(xxix) T. dominigensis Pers.--tule.

(4) Mean annual low spring tide--The long-time (18.6 years) average of the lowest spring tide occurring within a year for a given area. Spring tides occur for several days every 14.3 days when the low waters are much lower than usual due to the position of the earth, sun, and moon.

(5) Other areas of high biologic productivity--Areas in coastal wetlands that contain seawater and are adjacent to or within marshes.

(6) Seaward--The direction away from the shore and toward the body of water bounded by such shore.

(7) Seawater--Any water containing a concentration of one-twentieth of 1.0% or more by weight of total dissolved inorganic salts derived from the marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Seawater may be present either as freestanding water on the surface of the soil, as ground moisture absorbed by the soil, or as both.

Source Note: The provisions of this §15.51 adopted to be effective March 22, 1979, 4 TexReg 785; amended to be effective September 11, 2005, 30 TexReg 5373