Program Conta c t s

If you are a coastal manager with specific 

questions on the program, please contact:

Jeremy Martinich

martinich.jeremy@epa.gov

Climate Change Division

EPA Office of Air and Radiation

(202) 343-9871

John Wilson

wilson.john@epa.gov

Oceans and Coastal Protection Division

EPA Office of Water

(202) 566-1158

For media or press inquiries, please visit 

www.epa.gov/newsroom/contact-us.htm.

Office of Air and Radiation

Office of Water

EPA 430-F-08-027a

February 2009

Climate Ready Estuaries Website

Visit the Climate Ready Estuaries Website to 

find information on climate change impacts and 

adaptation, including:

Basic Information

What are the projected climate change impacts 

to coastal systems? What can be done to address 

these impacts?

Where You Live

Where are the National Estuaries and what 

climate change impacts assessment and adaptation 

efforts are underway in your region?

Explore Climate Ready Estuaries

Learn how the program is working with coastal 

managers to advance coastal adaptation to climate 

change.

Coastal Toolkit

What tools and information will help you get 

started assessing climate change vulnerabilities, 

finding data, and developing adaptation plans?

www.epa.gov/cre

Recycled/Recyclable

Printed on paper that contains at least 50% post consumer fiber.
Adapting

 to Climate Change

The Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE) program is a 

partnership between EPA and the National Estuary 

Programs (NEPs) to address climate change in 

coastal areas. This effort is building additional 

capacity in coastal communities as they prepare to 

adapt to the effects of climate change.

Climate Ready Estuaries is supporting NEPs and 

coastal communities in becoming “climate ready” 

by providing tools and assistance to:

•	 Assess climate change vulnerabilities

•	 Engage and educate stakeholders

•	 Develop and implement adaptation strategies

•	 Share lessons learned with other 

coastal managers

Protecting Critical Resources

Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea. 

They are highly productive and unique ecosystems. 

Millions of people live, work, and play in estuaries, 

and they are home to many industries critical to 

our nation’s prosperity. However, estuaries are 

projected to be particularly vulnerable to many 

climate change effects. Impacts that may occur 

include:

• Damage to and loss of wetlands, coastal 

property, and infrastructure due to inundation 

and more severe coastal storms.

• Changes to water availability and quality, 

including impacts to groundwater and 

drinking water.

 • Changes in habitat, fisheries, and other 

plant and animal distributions.

Tools and Resources 

for Estuaries

Assess, Plan, Take Action!

A Coastal Toolkit of information products, data, 

tools, workshops, and technical assistance is 

available to all NEPs and other coastal managers. 

This Toolkit, available on the CRE Website 

(www.epa.gov/cre), provides information and 

resources related to:

 

Monitoring Finding climate change data

 Tools for Adaptation assessing risk planning and vulnerability

 Smart growth Sustainable

in the context of financing climate change options

CRE is underway!

EPA is providing targeted assistance to NEPs to 

identify climate change vulnerabilities, develop 

adaptation plans, and begin to implement selected 

actions within these plans. 

To learn more about the programs EPA is working 

with under Climate Ready Estuaries, visit the CRE 

Website.

www.epa.gov/cre/explore.html

Get Ready!

Coastal resource managers can reduce these risks, 

reduce future costs, and improve resiliency by acting 

now to identify areas that are particularly vulnerable, 

establish monitoring that will warn of impending 

changes, and develop and implement adaptation plans.