National Estuary Program
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 3–12
- Subjects
- science (biology and life science, environmental science)
- Provider
- EPA
Legal
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Established in 1987, the National Estuary Program is designed to encourage local communities to take responsibility for managing their own estuaries. Each NEP is made up of representatives from federal, state and local government agencies responsible for managing the estuary's resources, as well as members of the community -- citizens, business leaders, educators, and researchers. These stakeholders work together to identify problems in the estuary, develop specific actions to address those problems, and create and implement a formal management plan to restore and protect the estuary. The program focuses not just on improving water quality in an estuary, but on maintaining the integrity of the whole system -- its chemical, physical, and biological properties, as well as its economic, recreational, and aesthetic values.
Twenty-eight estuary programs are currently working to safeguard the health of some of our Nation's most important coastal waters.
