About Us

Initiative Areas

The Gulf Coast Joint Venture is divided geographically into five initiative areas, each with a different mix of habitats, management opportunities, and species priorities. Goals, objectives, and conservation strategies have been identified for every initiative area. In turn, each initiative area has a team that plans, designs, and implements projects that are driven by conservation plans for that initiative area. Team membership is open to anyone who wants to discuss bird habitat conservation project ideas within a partnership forum of field-level biologists. Click on the map below for more information on each GCJV Initiative Area and their respective Initiative Team Chairpersons.

Laguna Madre Initiative Area Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Area Chenier Plain Initiative Area Mississippi River Coastal Wetlands Initiative Area Coastal Mississippi-Alabama Initiative Area

Initiative Teams

Initiative Teams maintain a portfolio of proposed conservation projects that could be implemented if sufficient resources are allocated. They (through designated Initiative Team Chairpersons) regularly inform the GCJV Management Board regarding status of previously recommended projects, newly proposed projects, new project opportunities, and other needs. Initiative Teams also communicate with the GCJV Management Board to request assistance with design, funding, and implementation of proposed conservation projects for priority bird species. Information on selected GCJV habitat projects can be found here.

Laguna Madre Initiative Team
Beau Hardegree, Chairperson
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Team
Kevin Hartke, Chairperson
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Chenier Plain Initiative Team
Mike Rezsutek, Co-Chairperson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Bob Dew, Co-Chairperson, Ducks Unlimited

Mississippi River Coastal Wetlands Initiative Team
Kevin Roy, Chairperson
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Coastal Mississippi-Alabama Initiative Team
Kathy Shelton, Co-Chairperson, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Roger Clay, Co-Chairperson, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources