The purpose of the Texas Prairie Wetlands Program based in the Corpus Christi Ecological Services Field Office is to restore, enhance and/or create wetland habitat and associated ecosystems to protect and conserve waterfowl populations pursuant to the North American Waterfowl Plan (NAWP) and the Gulf Coast Joint Venture.  Focus areas for this program in Texas as defined by the NAWP consist of the Chenier Plain Initiative Area (Chambers, Jefferson, Liberty, and Orange Counties), the Mid-Coast Initiative Area (Aransas, Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, and Wharton Counties), and the Laguna Madre Initiative Area (Brooks, Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg, Hidalgo, Nueces, Starr, and Willacy Counties).  Target species for the program include mallards, northern pintails, gadwall, American wigeons, green-winged teals, blue-winged teals, northern shovelers, mottled ducks, canvasbacks, redheads, ring-necked ducks, greater scaups, lesser scaups, lesser snow geese, greater white-fronted geese, and Canada geese; however, the restoration and creation of wetland habitat through this program is not only essential for these waterfowl species but also provides necessary habitat for other migratory avian species including the federally listed whooping crane.  For FY 2006 the program restored and/or enhanced 1,371 acres of wetland habitat along the Texas Coast and provided technical assistance for an additional 2,907 acres.