Sea Turtle Program Review

Review Summary

In May 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) posted an update on our management review of the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program at Padre Island National Seashore to focus on support for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles for future research, management and funding.

The NPS review – completed in June 2020 – underscores the importance of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle program at Padre Island and outlines goals to strengthen its mission, promote safety and expand opportunities for shared stewardship. Our goal through this process is to ensure accountability and transparency.

The review highlights the need for public involvement and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. That said, the NPS will be prioritizing a beach management plan to identify and evaluate the environmental consequences of beach patrol activities, nest management strategies, and other beach management alternatives.

Employee Overtime

Additionally, the NPS hired 37 seasonal staff members to support the program for the 2021 summer. In Fiscal Year 2019, roughly 27 employees worked between 100 and 249 hours of overtime, eight employees worked 250 and 399 hours of overtime, and two employees recorded 433 hours and 569 hours of overtime. Sustaining this culture is not safe or sustainable for employees. Funds saved by reducing overtime allows the NPS to hire additional seasonal staff.

Budget

The sea turtle program constitutes nearly one quarter of the park’s base budget, which is nearly double the average for most NPS resource management programs. On average, the park secures roughly $500,000 to $800,000 in project funds each year to support sea turtle work, bringing the total program budget to $2.2 million annually. Recently, the NPS worked with federal and state partners to secure two, multi-year projects. The management review did not cut permanent funding to the program, but rather highlighted the need to promote shared stewardship among our partners.

Learn More

We will continue to post updates on our planning page regarding upcoming projects as well as opportunities for public engagement.

Lean more about sea turtles in the park.

Download the Full Program Review

Review of the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program [PDF 3.55 MB]

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you cutting the program’s budget?

No cuts to the sea turtle program's base budget are planned or have been enacted. The National Park Service review underscores the importance of the sea turtle program at Padre Island and outlines goals to strengthen its mission and expand opportunities for shared stewardship. We want to broaden the success of the sea turtle program to the park’s other resources for their protection and for the enjoyment of our visitors. 

Has the program already lost funding?

No base funding has been lost. At present, the sea turtle program constitutes nearly one quarter of the park's entire base budget (23.8 percent, $1,374,902 annually) -- that is nearly double the average for resource management programs (12.5 percent) across the National Park Service. The program also secures about $500,000 - $800,000 in project funds each year to support turtle work. These project funds routinely fluctuate based on the success of project submissions.

Is the National Park Service curtailing its employees’ speech regarding this review?

The National Park Service relies heavily on the expertise, dedication, and passion of its employees. To ensure we are responsive to the public and to members of the press, parks have standard operating procedures for coordinating, vetting, and confirming those responses through public information officers at parks or the park superintendent. 

Which of the review’s recommendations is the park currently pursuing?

Some recommendations will require careful study and public feedback before deciding when, or if, they should be implemented; however, several others are opportunities to implement agency best practices. We believe that by scaling back overtime, strategically hiring seasonal employees, and focusing our future research we have updated the program to better align with National Park Service practices and conservation principles. 

How can you proceed with any of these recommendations without violating the Endangered Species Act?

No changes to the park's nest management program have been implemented. Any changes to the program with the potential to impact ESA-listed species must be reviewed by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and would require FWS to issue a biological opinion and any necessary permits.