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National Estuary Program (NEP)
Contact Us

Habitat Plans from the National Estuary Program

On this page:

  • NEP Communities Design Local Solutions for Restoring Habitat
  • Examples of NEP Habitat Plans

NEP Communities Design Local Solutions for Restoring Habitat

Crew of five, installing filled rope "sausage" for shore protection along boundary between mudflats and estuarine grasses.
Crew of five, installing filled rope "sausage" for shore protection along boundary between mudflats and estuarine grasses.

At the 28 National Estuary Program (NEP) Study Areas around the country, local stakeholders work together to identify and prioritize the problems in their estuaries. Each NEP develops a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) that contains specific actions that address the whole range of environmental problems facing the estuary, including habitat loss and degradation.

These wide-ranging actions include:

  • efforts to acquire or preserve open space;
  • development of conservation easements for riparian buffer areas;
  • restoration or creation of habitats through revegetation programs;
  • efforts to improve water quality through upgrades in wastewater treatment plants, and stormwater and septic systems
  • monitoring and mapping of critical areas; and
  • public outreach and education activities.

All of these efforts are carried out through partnerships between federal, state and local agencies with assistance from private and nonprofit sectors and citizens.

Cover of NEP Habitat Protection and Restoration booklet

For highlights of specific NEP efforts, please see the National Estuary Program: Habitat Protection and Restoration booklet:

  • Both the online (low-resolution) and print (high-resolution) versions of the Habitat Protection and Restoration booklet are available.
  • To order free copies of this publication, simply call 800-490-9198 and request the EPA document number provided.

Examples of NEP Habitat Plans

Cover of the Tampa Bay Habitat Restoration Best Management Practices Manual, August 2020
Read the Tampa Bay Habitat Restoration: Best Management Practices Manual (pdf) (August 2020)
Cover of the Habitat Restoration Needs Plan for the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership Area
Read the Habitat Restoration Needs Plan for the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership Area (pdf) (May 2019)
Cover of the Comprehensive Restoration Plan for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary
Read the Comprehensive Restoration Plan for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary (June 2016)
  • National Estuary Program (NEP) Home
    • Basic Information about Estuaries
  • Funding Resources
  • Learn about the National Estuary Program
  • Local Estuary Programs
  • NEP Success Stories
    • Fact Sheets
    • Habitat Plans
    • How NEPs Address Environmental Issues
    • Progress Evaluation
    • Successful Watershed Management: NEP Lessons Learned
    • Sustainable Financing Examples
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on February 13, 2023
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