The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys National Estuary Program, which is a joint local/state/federal program established under the Clean Water Act with the goal of protecting and enhancing nationally significant estuarine resources. PREP is funded by the EPA and is administered by the University of New Hampshire. PREP's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the estuaries of the Piscataqua Region was completed in 2000 and implementation is ongoing. The Management Plan outlines key issues related to management of the estuaries and proposes strategies (Action Plans) that are expected to preserve, protect, and enhance the estuarine resources. The priorities for PREP were established by local stakeholders and include water quality improvements, shellfish resources, land protection, and habitat restoration. Projects addressing these priorities are undertaken throughout the coastal watershed, which includes 52 communities in New Hampshire and Maine. Every three years, PREP prepares a State of the Estuaries report with information on the status and trends of a select group of environmental indicators from the coastal watershed and estuaries. The report provides PREP, state natural resource managers, local officials, conservation organizations, and the public with information on the effects of management actions and decisions.