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Habitat Protection and Restoration Overview - National Estuary Program (NEP)
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- Informing the public about on-the-ground environmental results:
"Introduction"-
"Habitat Loss and Degradation" - summarizes the issue.
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"Habitat Goals and NEP Plans" - EPA's strategic plan and NEP comprehensive conservation and management plans.
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"National Program Results" - provides Annual Habitat Acres Protected and Restored.
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"Local NEP Projects and Regional Summary" - maps of project locations and descriptions of habitat projects.
- Contributing Factors
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An interactive graphic shows how everyday human activities along the coast increase pressures on natural habitat and can impact the health
of our estuaries in other ways as well.
- Resources
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Links are provided here to further information about watersheds, maps, and performance measures useful for reporting progress toward improving
the health of coastal watersheds.
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Introduction
Reporting Performance Matters
The National Estuary Program works with local communities to improve
the health of our nation's estuaries. Together, they develop plans
called Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) that contain
environmental goals for their estuaries and watersheds as well as blueprints
for achieving those goals. Community support and involvement
is fundamental to the success of these efforts. As this is a long-term process,
keeping the community well informed and connected with plan activities
and progress is critical to keeping the plan a vital, living process for
the community.
Performance reporting is not only essential for garnering and maintaining
community support, it is often mandated. Enabling legislation or other
laws—federal or local—may require responsible agencies to report
on what progress they are making toward established goals.
For the National Estuary Program, several pieces of federal legislation weigh
in on performance reporting.
Estuaries and Clean Water Act of 2000 (PDF)
This new legislation makes restoring the nation's estuaries a national
priority and funds community-based estuary restoration projects. Reauthorization
of EPA's National Estuary Program is included, with funds for estuary
management in addition to planning. The core of the bill establishes
a five-year program through which the federal government will promote
and track estuary restoration.
Government Performance Reporting Act of 1993 (GPRA)
This act requires that federal agencies should link inputs, outputs,
and outcomes of their programs to improve government planning, budgeting,
performance, and results overall.
Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987
The enabling legislation for the NEP program stipulates that NEPs
must "monitor the effectiveness of actions taken pursuant to the plan."
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