What is the National Estuary Program? Twenty-eight community-based watershed organizations located along the Gulf coast and Atlantic and Pacific oceans that: • define their management areas according to watershed boundaries and the ecosystems within them • apply a mix of point source pollution and polluted runoff controls • restore and protect the bays, lagoons, and other places where freshwater meets the sea Who should read this handbook? All individuals and organizations involved in watershed management, including those administering or implementing the NEP. To obtain a copy of this handbook, contact EPA at: MAIL: U.S. EPA/NSCEP P.O. Box 42419 Cincinnati, Ohio 45242-2419 EMAIL: ncepimal@one.net CALL: 1-800-490-9198 FAX: 51 3-489-8695 WEBSITE: www.epa.gov/neplessons DOCUMENT*: EPA 842-B-05-003 (98 page document) EPA Brochure #: EPA 842-FO5-002 United States Environmental Protection Agency ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY- BASED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM SEPA A Handbook Available from EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds ------- Community-Based Watershed Management Lessons from the National Estuary Program This handbook is designed for all individuals and organizations in- volved in watershed management, including states, tribes, local govern- ments, and nongovernmental orga- nizations. This document describes innovative approaches to watershed manage- ment implemented by the 28 NEPs and draws on nearly 20 years of ex- perience. The 28 National Estuary Programs (NEPs), their Study Areas, and Surrounding Watersheds Pugct Sound Lower Columbia River TUlamook Bay B ar a t aria-Terrebonne Tampa Bay Galveston Sarasota Bay Bay New Hampshire Estuaries Massachusetts Bays Buzzards Bay Narrangansetf Bay Peconic Bay Long Island Sound Study Delaware Estuary Delaware Inland Bays Maryland Coastal Bays Mono Bay Santa Monica Bay Coastal Bend Bays & Study Area — location where NEPs focus their restoration efforts Watershed - land area that drains into an estuary Albermarle-Pamlico Sounds Indian River Lagoon San Juan Bay You will learn how the NEPs: • establish effective governance structures • assess the conditions of the estuary and the institutions that affect it • involve the public and other stakeholders to develop and implement management plans • leverage funding to increase their budgets • motivate stakeholders to become involved ------- |