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NEW HAMPSHIRE ESTUARIES PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Citation:
NEW HAMPSHIRE ESTUARIES PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 2000.
Description:
This Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan of the New Hampshire Estuaries Project presents a broad framework and specific list of actions to protect and enhance the environmental quality of the estuaries of the State of New Hampshire. It is intended to be a guide for all who use, enjoy, or care about the state's estuarine resources. The NHEP Management Plan addresses the environmental quality of the entire watershed draining to New Hampshire coastal waters, but focuses action efforts on the lands surrounding the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook Estuaries. Due to the national significance of their natural resources, the New Hampshire estuaries were selected for assistance and support from the National Estuaries Program. Although these estuaries are by no means pristine, much progress has already been made in correcting problems. Upgrades to sewage treatment plants, reopened shellfish beds, restoration of degraded salt marshes, increased acreage of permanently protected habitat, and improved planning for future development all indicate the power of partnerships forged at the local level. This Management Plan builds on these improvements and partnerships and focuses on this positive direction. From its start, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project has aimed for real improvements to the environment. The idea that the only legitimate reason for planning is to prepare for implementation was often mentioned at NHEP meetings. Thus, the planning phase of the project was guided by the principle that enthusiasm for implementation would not be generated by volumes of scientific studies on every environmental issue, but by clear demonstrations of problems and solutions at the local level. The common theme of NHEP work was improvement and protection of estuarine water quality - the foundation of the estuaries' value as wildlife habitat, as a recreational resource, and as a key element to the Seacoast economy. Shellfish were chosen as a tangible, easily understood indicator to measure improvements to water quality. Diverse group participated in the development of the Plan, with considerable input from the public along the way. The Plan is the result of a three-year, collaborative process that required countless meetings, long discussions, creative thinking,, and hard won compromises. The Action Plans crafted by these volunteers are practical, realistic, and ready for implementation. This document could not have been produced without their patience and dedication.