# NATIONAL



# ESTUARY

PROGRAM Photo Credit: Mark LagrangeThe EPA National Estuary Program (NEP) is a unique and voluntary program

established in 1987 under the Clean Water Act Amendments (CWA). A successful

ecosystem-based management program, it works to restore and maintain the water

quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance.

To achieve these goals, NEPs involve community members and other key partners to

develop and implement a management plan. Citizens are fully engaged throughout

this process to ensure that local needs are addressed in this Comprehensive

Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP contains specific actions

to apply CWA programs in a way that fully supports these local priorities.

The 28 NEPs across the country have demonstrated an impressive ability to secure

and leverage funds, protect and restore coastal habitats, and broaden public

understanding of estuaries. NEPs have also made substantial gains in identifying

environmental challenges and tackling complex water quality and ecosystem issues.

The NEP looks broadly across the watershed and recognizes the connection

between upstream sources of pollution and downstream impacts. It offers an

effective means of securing commitments necessary to achieve tangible

environmental results. 

# THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM 

# THE NEP APPROACH

WHAT IS AN NEP?

Each NEP consists of a collection of stakeholders, organized in a decision-making framework that

facilitates collaboration, consensus-building, and public input. NEP stakeholders typically include

representatives from Federal, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, affected

business and industries, academia, and the general public. EPA is a participant and provides

management guidance, along with financial and technical assistance. Together the group works

to articulate common goals and take action to address a wide range of issues in their CCMP.

NEPs are guided by a director and staff that are housed in a program office located within the

estuarine watershed. NEPs work to improve the health of their estuary – its waters, habitats,

and living resources within a particular geographic boundary encompassing the estuary and

surrounding environments.



### WHAT IS THE NEP APPROACH?

•	 Establish a go vernance st ructure

•	 Involve co mmunity st akeholders as eq ual pa rtners

•	 Engage th e pu blic th roughout th e de cision-making pr ocess

•	 Collaborate to id entify pr oblems an d so lutions

•	 Build on wa ter qu ality co ntrol me asures an d ta ilor th em to sp ecific pl aces

•	 Set measurable go als an d ob jectives an d mo nitor ef fectiveness of ac tions

– ad just if ne cessary

•	 Develop an d im plement a Co mprehensive Co nservation Ma nagement Pl an (C CMP)hsreG nahpetS :tiderC otohP

### WHAT MAKES THE NEP SUCCESSFUL?

•	 Environmental is sues tr anscend po litical ju risdictions so NE Ps ar e de fined by wa tershed or ec osystem

boundaries.

•	 The NEP go vernance st ructure pr ovides a ne utral fo rum to br ing to gether a di verse se t of st akeholders an d

create a level decision-making process.

•	 NEPs seek to fu lly en gage ci tizens th roughout th e de cision-making an d pr oblem-solving pr ocess.

•	 NEP stakeholders wo rk th rough a co nsensus-building pr ocess to id entify CC MP go als, ob jectives, an d ac tions

that reflect their local priorities and interests.

•	 NEPs seek to en sure th at de cisions ar e ba sed on so und sc ience an d ac tions ar e im plemented us ing ad aptive

management strategies.

•	 NEPs pr oduce pe riodic as sessments of co nditions in th eir es tuarine ec osystems th at ar e sh ared wi th po licy

makers and the public.

•	 NEPs ha ve de veloped an d ap plied in novative an d ad aptive ap proaches th at ef fectively ad dress ha bitat an d

water quality-related challenges.

•	 NEP stakeholders’ ac tions an d lo ng-term co mmitment ha ve pr oduced ta ngible en vironmental re sults.

• NEPs sh are th eir le ssons le arned th rough ef fective ou treach an d ed ucation ef forts.

Photo Credit: Coastal Conservation AssociationThe National Estuary Program (NEP) is a collaborative, effective. efficient, and

adaptable c oastal e cosystem-based n etwork. W ith o ver 2 0 y ears’ e xperience

implementing k ey p rovisions o f t he C lean W ater A ct, t he N EP i s t he n ation’s

principal watershed program—one that offers a viable, effective method of

protecting and managing all types of watershed environments, including

non-coastal areas.

The NEP decision-making structure and long-term approach build cooperative

relationships that facilitate trust among participants. This creates ownership of

CCMP actions developed by those community members who play a role in

implementing them. 

# A C REDIBLE B LUEPRINT

Integrating common EPA goals: a snapshot of the NEP approach

Photo Credit: Tillamook Estuaries Partnership

# COLLABORATIVE

NEPs are a catalyst to bring together citizens, affected businesses and industry,

nonprofit groups, different levels of government, and varied government agencies

that may not have worked together cooperatively in the past. A consensus-building

process is used by NEP participants to collectively design and create a CCMP

that represents their diverse perspectives and interests. This close collaboration

generates long-term support and commitment on their part to then implement actions

in the CCMP. The participation and involvement of all NEP stakeholders throughout the

CCMP development an d im plementation pr ocess is cr itical to th e pr ogram’s su ccess.

Photo Credit: Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Photo Credit: San Juan Bay Estuary Program

# EFFECTIVE

NEPs and their partners have protected and restored over 1

million acres of habitat since 2000. The habitat efforts carried out

by the NEPs, their partners, and many volunteers have yielded

measurable en vironmental re sults. Th ese pr ojects no t on ly

improve the coastal habitats directly, but the water quality in

these estuaries, rivers, streams, and wetlands as well, thereby

benefiting the living resources that are found in or use these vital

places.

For example, NEPs work to enhance riparian areas, thus reducing

pollution entering rivers and streams that would adversely impact

fish and ot her aq uatic li fe. NE Ps al so co nduct pr ojects to

restore tidal flow to wetlands, enabling them to better capture

sediments and filter pollutants. To protect shorelines and minimize

coastal erosion, some NEPs construct “living shorelines” by

placing native plants and biodegradable organic materials near

the water’s ed ge. Th is cr eates a na tural bu ffer or br eakwater to

absorb waves and trap sediments.

Photo Credit: Amie Howell

Photo Credit: Bryon Chamberlin

# EFFICIENT

NEPs around the country have become efficient at

leveraging funds to increase their ability to restore

and protect their coastal ecosystems. The NEPs have

obtained over $10 for every $1 provided by EPA, generating

nearly $4 billion for on-the-ground efforts since 2003. Getting

smart about funding means developing strategies, targeting

programs to pursue funding that supports priorities, fostering

alliances with public and private partners, and demonstrating

results to donors. It also means crediting sponsors for their

contributions and encouraging staff development of new and

creative initiatives.

Photo Credit: Nancy Laurson Photo Credit: Maryland Coastal Bays ProgramPhoto Credit: Mobile Bay National Estuary Program 

# ADAPTABLE

NEPs s et m easurable g oals a nd o bjectives a nd u se e cosystembased indicators to assess progress. This is done through a process

of adaptive management – continuously monitoring and sometimes

adjusting e fforts i f n ecessary

– i f g oals a nd o bjectives a re n ot b eing

met. This is also what makes NEPs successful in their ability to adapt

to emerging issues facing our coasts and estuaries, such as climate

change. I t’s a m ethod t hat c an b e r eadily a dapted b y a nd t ransferred

to any watershed group in the country.

Photo Credit: Bill & Sharon Draker

# The NEP–A Collaborative,

Effective, Efficient, and

Adaptable Coastal

Ecosystem-Based P rogram.

Photo Credit: Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program

# VISIT AN NEP NEAR YOU Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds, NC

apnep.org

Barataria-Terrebonne E stuary, L A

btnep.org

Barnegat B ay, N J

bbep.org

Buzzards B ay, M A

buzzardsbay.org

Casco B ay, M E

cascobay.usm.maine.edu

Charlotte Harbor, FL

chnep.org

Coastal B end B ays a nd E stuaries, T X

cbbep.org

Delaware E stuary, D E

delawareestuary.org

Delaware I nland B ays, D E

inlandbays.org Galveston B ay, T X

gbep.state.tx.us

Indian River Lagoon, FL

sjwmd.com/indianriverlagoon/index.html

Long Island Sound, CT

longislandsoundstudy.net

Lower Columbia River Estuary, WA

lcrep.org

Maryland C oastal B ays, M D

mdcoastalbays.org

Massachusetts B ays, M A

massbays.org

Mobile B ay, A L

mobilebaynep.com

Morro B ay, C A

mbnep.org

Narragansett B ay, R I

nbep.org

New Y ork-New J ersey H arbor, N Y

harborestuary.org

Peconic Estuary, NY peconicestuary.org

Piscataqua Region Estuaries, NH

nhep.unh.edu

Puget Sound, WA

psp.wa.gov/

San Francisco Estuary, CA

sfestuary.org

San J uan B ay, P uerto R ico

estuario.org

Santa M onica B ay, C A

santamonicabay.org

Sarasota B ay, F L

sarasotabay.org

Tampa B ay, F L

tbep.org

Tillamook B ay, O R

tbnep.org

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