National Estuary Program
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NEP Websites
Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds
http://www.apnep.org
Barataria-Terrebonne
http://www.btnep.org
Barnegat Bay
http://www.bbep.org
Buzzards Bay
http://www.buzzardsbay.org
Casco Bay
http://www.cascobay.usm.maine.edu
Charlotte Harbor
http://www.chnep.org
Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries
http://www.cbbep.org
Delaware Estuary
http://www.delawareestuary.org
Delaware Inland Bays
http://www.inlandbays.org
Galveston Bay
http://www.gbep.state.tx.us
Indian River Lagoon
http://www.sjrwmd.com/programs/
outreach/ irlnep/index.html
Long Island Sound
http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net
Lower Columbia River Estuary
http://www.lcrep.org
Maryland Coastal Bays
http://www.mdcoastalbays.org
Massachusetts Bays
http://www.massbays.org
Mobile Bay
http://www.mobilebaynep.com
Morro Bay
http://www.mbnep.org
Narragansett Bay
http://www.nbep.org
New Hampshire Estuaries
http://www.nhep.unh.edu
New York-New Jersey Harbor
http://www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/hep
Peconic Estuary Program
http://www.peconicestuary.org
Puget Sound
http://www.psat.wa.gov
San Francisco Estuary
http://sfep.abag.ca.gov/sfep.html
San Juan Bay
http://www.estuario.org
Santa Monica Bay
http://www.santamonicabay.org
Sarasota Bay
http://www.sarasotabay.org
Tampa Bay
http://www.tbep.org
Tillamook Bay
http://www.tbnep.org
What has the NEP accomplished?
The 28 National Estuary Programs are demonstrating
success in improving environmental conditions, securing
and leveraging funds, and improving public education and
citizen participation though outreach efforts. All this has
been done in close partnership with many Federal, State
and local entities.
Environmental Results
The NEPs have protected or restored over
1 million acres of habitat since 2000,
through activities such as land acquisition,
installation of fish passages, repair of tide-
gates, enhancement of shellfish beds, and
removal of invasive plants. The types of
habitats protected and restored include
tidal wetlands, forests, meadows, and
streambanks, among many others.
Reaching and Involving the Public
Informing and educating the public
about estuaries, and including them
in the decision-making process is a
strong underpinning of the NEP and
essential to the continued improvement
of these vital resources. Each NEP
has engaged community members
through a variety of means such as: 1)
public meetings to define problems and design actions, 2) hands-on
involvement in volunteer water quality monitoring or restoration, or 3)
"State of the Estuary" conferences to provide information on progress
being made by the NEP to improve conditions in the estuary.
Leveraging Funds
By developing strategic alliances, the NEPs have leveraged approxi-
mately $16.50 for every $1 of EPA funding. As a result, nearly $1.11
billion through individual, private, local, State and Federal partner-
ships over the past few years (2003-2006) has been generated.
These additional resources
have been used primarily for
wastewater treatment and land
acquisition projects.
Photos courtesy of Karen Young, Donna Edgar, Nancy Laurson, Rick Balla, and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
nto http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuanes tor more informs
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