Abstract |
In this State of the Estuaries Report, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project presents a snapshot of the environmental condition of the state's estuaries. The Report describes the region's valuable natural resources, and their essential links to the cultural and economic well-being of the Seacoast region and the state. It identifies challenges and problems that threaten the unique character and natural resource wealth of the estuaries. The New Hampshire Estuaries Project is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program (NEP). The NEP is a joint local, state, and federal program established under the Clean Water Act to promote the protection and enhancement of nationally significant estuaries. Each estuary project develops and implements a Management Plan to outline key environmental problems for the estuaries, and practical strategies to preserve, protect, and enhance these extraordinary natural resources. Development of the NHEP Management Plan began with identifying the challenges to environmental quality in the New Hampshire estuaries. |