KBR Announces $150,000 for Greens Bayou Paddle Trail Development

Greens Bayou’s first canoe launch park took a major step closer to reality last week, thanks to a grant from KBR to the Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition. The grant, which provides $150,000 over five years, will also fund other launch sites along a nine-mile stretch in the South Reach of Greens Bayou.

The southern section of Greens Bayou is the portion that retains its most natural features. Thomas Bell Foster Park at 12895 Greens Bayou Drive is already under development as the southern-most trail head of a planned paddle trail. Additional launch locations will be developed going north on the bayou, and the ultimate goal is to qualify as a designated Texas Paddle Trail, said Coalition Executive Director Jill Boullion.

“A site has also been suggested for an overlook across the bayou from an eagle’s nest where eaglets hatch annually,” Boullion added.

“We are pleased to provide a multi-year commitment in support of the nine-mile paddle trail on Greens Bayou,” said Zac Nagle, vice president, KBR Investor Relations and Communications. “KBR has a long and special relationship with Greens Bayou, helping to improve the quality of life for approximately 400,000 residents who live along the bayou, from Willowbrook to the Houston Ship Channel, through economic development, flood mitigation, and park and trail development. This effort supports our charitable contribution focus areas of environment, health and education.”

The grant presentation was made at the Coalition’s Annual Meeting by Suzanne Mayne, KBR’s director of Environment and Sustainable Development.

The paddle trail is part of the Coalition’s Parks and Trails Master Plan, recently completed with assistance from the National Park Service. The plan’s three-fold objectives include:

•Expanding recreation and tourism opportunities beyond the March canoe race and occasional paddle events organized by the Houston Canoe Club each year – even without constructed launches.

•Preserving and restoring the natural areas and habitats along the bayou, a particularly important goal for the South Reach, which is seeing new development with the completion of Beltway 8 and is anticipating significantly more as Houston Ship Channel businesses prepare for the increased cargo expected from the widening of the Panama Canal, set to open in 2014.

•Providing environmental education programs for the three school districts along the planned trail. A partnership with San Jacinto Community College is already under way, and students are assisting with site clean-up, removal of invasive species and replanting of wetlands.

KBR continues support of Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition. Previous grant awards include $10,000 for Ida Gaye Gardens, a park for seniors in the Greenspoint area, and $10,000 for bayou clean-up in the West Reach of Greens Bayou.

“KBR has been a wonderful community partner with the Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition since our inception,” said Boullion. “KBR has not only provided funding for key projects that improve our community, but their employees have provided volunteer assistance and filled key leadership roles with our organization. We are excited because we know that these funds for the paddle trail will attract more resources and also have a huge impact on not only the local community around the bayou but on the Houston region as well. We are grateful for KBR’s continued trust in us.”