Unit:National Estuary Program

National Estuary Program (NEP)

The National Estuary Program (NEP) is an EPA place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. Currently, 28 estuaries located along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico are designated as estuaries of national significance. Each NEP focuses within a study area that includes the estuary and surrounding watershed.

The NEPs are located in a variety of institutional settings, including state and local agencies, universities and individual nonprofits. In overseeing and managing the national program, EPA provides annual funding, national guidance and technical assistance to the local NEPs.

The 28 NEPs develop and implement Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs), which are long-term plans that contain actions to address water quality and living resource challenges and priorities. The NEP challenges and priorities are defined by local, city, state, federal, private and non-profit stakeholders.

Each NEP has a Management Conference (MC) that consists of diverse stakeholders and uses a collaborative, consensus-building approach to implement the CCMP. Moreover, each MC ensures that the CCMP is uniquely tailored to the local environmental conditions and is based on local input, thereby supporting local priorities.

The NEP is a non-regulatory program established by Congress and was authorized by section 320 of the Clean Water Act in 1987.

The Indian River Lagoon was nominated as an Estuary of National Significance and joined the NEP in 1990 under the sponsorship of the St. Johns and South Florida Water Management Districts. The Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) was published in 1997 and updated in 2008.

Today, the IRLNEP is sponsored by the IRL Council, which was established in February 2015 as a special district of Florida. The IRL Council includes representatives of five counties bordering the lagoon (Volusia, Brevard, the Indian River County Lagoon Coalition, St. Lucie and Martin counties), the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The U.S. EPA provides guidance to the IRL Council.

The NEP is a collaborative, efficient, and adaptable ecosystem-based network of organizations that protects and restores 28 estuaries of national significance.

Focus: 28 national estuaries of significance.

Region: United States

Founded: 1987

Hierarchy

Government Organization

United States Government; Executive Branch; Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

Affiliations

Parent Organizations: Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds

Subsidiaries: Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program

Partners: IRL Council, Association of National Estuary Programs

Contact

National Estuary Program

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Code:4204M

Washington, DC 20460

Website: https://www.epa.gov/nep

Disclaimer: This information is for organizational purposes only. The presence of an Organization's information on this Website should not be viewed as an endorsement of the Website by the Organization. Nor should an Organization's presence on the Website be viewed as an endorsement of the Organization by the Website.