- The Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program will merge with the Science and Resources Management Division.
- Many residents and turtle lovers are outraged about this change.
- Under the new Science and Resources Management Division, the Division will request the funds needed to support the sea turtle program.
- Public sea turtle hatching releases will continue, but the amount of releases is unknown at this time.
- Residents are skeptical of PINS officials' reasoning for the reorganization of the turtle rescue program.
The Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program is in the process of being reorganized. This program has been around since the 1970s, and it is responsible for the conservation of sea turtles. Since the 1970s, Park Service staff and volunteers at PINS have worked to conserve the Kemp's Ridley. The Sea Turtle Recovery program will soon merge with the Science and Resources Management Division of PINS. Many residents and sea turtle lovers are unhappy about this change, and they believe it will have a negative impact on the beloved Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program.
According to sea turtle advocate and former volunteer for the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program, Jan Roberson, the program has been going downhill since 2019 when PINS hired the new park superintendent, Eric Brunnemann.
“Just a month ago, Jim Klein, with City Council, invited Eric Brunnermann and Kelly Taylor, the public information office, to a meeting. They brought a five-point PowerPoint and basically finally admitted that the program is no longer sustainable, which is not true," Roberson said.
Roberson said she believes the park officials are to blame for the financial instability of the sea turtle program.
“At the end of the year, all of the different divisions will have to request funds. Before, the Sea Turtle Program was its own division, received its own congressional allocated money, had its own base funding," Roberson said.
Roberson said she and several of her other turtle colleagues do not believe the park staff's claim that the sea turtle program is no longer self-sustainable. They also say they are suspicious of the park officials and believe they are not communicating well with the public about the program's reorganization.
“After that, a new superintendent came into the park and had different views, and we certainly don’t blame him but we would like to have an honest opinion and discussion about it," Roberson said.
One of the main things the public is concerned about with the reorganization is the tradition of holding public sea turtle hatching releases.
“The public hatching releases are world famous now. They have been cut from 25 to 5," Roberson said.
KRIS 6 News Reporter Erin Holly asked officials from PINS to give an on-camera interview on the subject. They did not provide an on-camera interview, but Kelly Taylor, the PINS Public Information Officer, sent a statement saying:
"Under the new Science and Resources Management Division, the Division will request the funds needed to support all of its programs, including the sea turtle program. This process is consistent with the way all divisions in the park request funds for their programs. Public hatchling releases will continue to be offered. The number of public hatchling releases planned will be dependent on staff availability and weather. The employment status of staff who work in the sea turtle program will not be impacted when the program is placed under the Science and Resources Management Division."
The Park staff did not provide a date for when the Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program will merge with the Science and Resources Management Division at Padre Island National Seashore.
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