Home About Our Estuaries Our Programs Get Involved Library Visit our Facebook page Visit our YouTube channel Visit our Instagram page HomeAbout SBEP About SBEP The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring our area’s greatest and most important natural asset – Sarasota Bay. We strive to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and enhance the natural resources of the area for use and enjoyment by the public. The health of Sarasota Bay has seen significant gains since it was named an estuary of national significance by the U.S. Congress in 1989. SBEP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs in the United States and is a member of the Association of National Estuary Programs. SBEP Partners SBEP Partnership Accomplishments Celebrating achievements is an important part of making progress. Since 1989, the SBEP partnership has accomplished the following key milestones toward restoring Sarasota Bay. Water Quality Summer fertilizer application ordinances have been instituted in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. These ordinances reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff to Sarasota-Manatee area creeks and bays. Sarasota and Manatee Counties conduct robust water quality monitoring programs that provide timely information to managers about conditions in the area's bays and creeks. Habitat Restoration Over 2,000 acres of intertidal and freshwater wetlands have been restored throughout the Sarasota Bay watershed since 1989. Over 3,000 artificial reef habitat modules have been deployed in Sarasota Bay. Three oyster reefs have been built in Sarasota Bay. Tens of parks enable public access to the bays. Community Engagement 20 local community members serve on the SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee. More than 60,000 students have participated in field trips to explore and learn about the Sarasota Bay watershed. Since 2003, Sarasota Bay Guardians Volunteers have clocked over 7,250 hours in support of Sarasota Bay restoration. More than 65 local organizations have completed Bay-friendly restoration and education projects with the support of over $300,000 in SBEP Sarasota Bay Partners Grant funding. A Rewarding Partnership SBEP received a first place Gulf Guardian Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009. The award recognized SBEP's interlocal partners and citizens for their actions to improve Bay water quality. National Estuary Program The National Estuary Program was established by Congress in 1987 to restore and protect estuaries of national significance. There are 28 estuaries of national significance in the National Estuary Program (NEP). The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established under the 1987 Clean Water Act Amendments to improve the quality of estuaries of national importance. It is a unique voluntary and non-regulatory program that operates through partnerships with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other organizations in the public and private sector. Each NEP operates collaboratively with its major partners and other organizations involved with watershed management. Section 320 directs EPA to develop plans for attaining or maintaining water quality in an estuary. This includes protection of public water supplies, protection of a balanced population of fish, shellfish and wildlife, support of recreational activities, and control of point and non-point sources of pollution. Each National Estuary Program has established a Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan to meet the goals of Section 320. The NEPs have succeeded because they focus on the entire watershed, use science to support local decision-making, emphasize collaborative problem-solving, and engage the public. Visit the National Estuary Program website. Visit the Association of National Estuary Programs website. Coastal regions provide 40% of US employment. This fact sheet from the Association of National Estuary Programs details how NEPs support natural resources and economies across the country. Our Commitment to Sustainability As an organization whose mission is centered around environmental stewardship, we believe it's important to integrate sustainability into what we do every day. In September 2017, SBEP joined over 200 businesses in Sarasota County committed to sustainable practices. The County offers a Green Business Partnership Program to certify organizations that are improving their general operations, solid waste management, recycling, and energy and water consumption. Some of the efforts implemented at our office include: recycling, composting, walking/biking to work, carpooling to meetings, bringing reusable cups, dishware, and bags to events, reducing printed materials, and turning lights and machines off when not in use. The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program website is sustainable because the page sizes are less than half the size of a typical website today. The median Page Weight (the size of all files downloaded when opening a page) on June 1, 2021 was 2124KB. The page weight for our pages is typically less than 700KB. Our website performance and structure grades are both above 90% per GTMetrix for website speed and following best practices. Finally, our website was designed to be ADA compliant, so it improves the user experience which reduces energy usage. Sarasota Bay Estuary Program 111 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 200W Sarasota, Florida 34236 941-955-8085 941-955-8081 Join Our Mailing List Report Pollution Email SBEP Staff Public Meetings Sitemap Visit our Facebook page Visit our YouTube Channel Visit our Instagram page Search for: The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program is dedicated to restoring the area's greatest natural asset - Sarasota Bay. We offer special thanks to our partners: Sarasota County, Manatee County, City of Sarasota, City of Bradenton, Town of Longboat Key, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Southwest Florida Water Management District. Copyright ©2021 Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. All Rights Reserved. Website Maintenance by WPTechGuru | Report a Problem