The National Estuary Program goal is to protect and restore the water quality and resources of estuaries and associated watersheds designated by the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator as estuaries of national significance. The 28 estuaries of national significance, or National Estuary Programs, use an ecosystem-based management approach to help achieve their protection and restoration goals.

Each National Estuary Program characterizes the priority problems in its estuary and surrounding watershed, develops a long-term Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan that identifies actions to address those problems, and identifies partners, to implement those actions. Implementation of Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans can include the following actions: protecting and restoring habitat, including wetlands; supporting water quality protection and restoration, including Total Maximum Daily Load plan implementation; monitoring and addressing toxics and pathogen loads and contamination; implementing stormwater management, reducing non-point source pollution impacts, and promoting the adoption of green infrastructure approaches; preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species and/or managing their impacts; developing and implementing nutrient reduction strategies; conducting climate vulnerability assessments and developing and implementing climate change adaptation strategies and using adaptation tools to promote coastal resilience; and developing and implementing strategies to provide opportunities for residents of urban minority and/or underserved communities to have greater access to urban waters, participate in urban ecosystem restoration, and participate in capacity-building/educational activities. In addition to Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan implementation, National Estuary Programs and other eligible recipients address urgent and challenging issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal areas.

Guidance Released in Q2 2022