Margaritaville plan draws concerns about ‘ghost wolves’
Galveston residents, scientists and animal advocates are raising concerns about the preservation of “ghost wolves” and native wildlife in the face of the $250 million Margaritaville Resort planned for the island.
The slender, reddish-brown wild canids that roam Galveston Island carry “ghost alleles” from red wolf DNA, which were declared extinct in the wild in 1980 because of habitat loss, predator control programs and other factors. Members of the Gulf Coast Canine Project and other advocates are hoping to preserve the canids’ habitat as the resort and other developments progress on the east end of the island.
The new Margaritaville resort at 317 East Beach Drive will feature beach access as well as a 2.5acre water park. The 334-room resort will take up 300,000
square feet, and it is being developed through a partnership with Innisfree Hotels and RREAF Holdings LLC. The developers were not available for comment.
Questions about the resort’s effect on the canids, also known as coyotes on the island, came up during a town hall last month. The meeting was packed as 400
Galveston residents and advocates came to learn about the coyotes and how development on the island, including construction of the resort, could affect wildlife.
The coyotes are not endangered but are protected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
In response to audience questions, Galveston Bay Foundation President Bob Stokes said stopping the resort’s construction is not an option.
“There’s nothing legally that could be done to stop it … we just don’t have those tools locally to do so,” he said.
Instead, organizers hope to convince developers to “do the right thing and incorporate wildlife protection plans, buffer zones around sensitive habitat, and wildlife corridors,” around the development, according to a post on Facebook about the town hall.
Stokes said advocates should focus on the future of other, undeveloped lots in the area that could be preserved if work starts now.
“We’re just looking to, you know, make the best of the situation that we currently have,” Stokes said at the meeting.
Advocates said during the meeting that they had talked with RREAF Holdings and Innisfree Hotels staff, and they felt the developers were receptive to hearing recommendations on the project.
Meeting minutes also show the group is “cautiously optimistic for a positive response” from the developers.
The meeting minutes also included template letters for residents to send to Galveston Mayor Craig Brown as well as RREAF Holdings and Innisfree Hotels to advocate for biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and other issues.