Reauthorizes the National Estuary Program to recover and grow coastal economies and ensure resilient coastal communities
(Durham, NH, February 1, 2021) - Congress reaffirmed its support and strong commitment to the National Estuary Program; a time tested, non-regulatory program that enables communities to protect and restore the bays and estuaries they call home. In coastal New Hampshire and southern Maine, The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is one of 28 programs designated under the National Estuary Program as having “estuaries of national significance” that will benefit directly from the legislation approved by Congress.
The Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act, with strong bipartisan support and unanimous approval from the US Senate, was signed into law on January 13, 2021 and supported by New Hampshire Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and Representative Pappas, and Maine Senators Collins and King, and Representative Pingree. Senators Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Cassidy of Louisiana, and Carper of Delaware were instrumental in securing passage of the bill and are long time champions of estuaries and coastal protection. The Act reaffirms support for the work of the National Estuary Program, and nearly doubles the annual funding limit from $27 million to $50 million. Under the new law, each NEP could receive as much as $1 million each year. Here in coastal NH and southern Maine, PREP works with communities at the local level to manage and protect coastal and estuarine resources essential for tourism, commerce, storm protection, clean water and marine-based food supply such as fisheries and aquaculture. Increasing threats from pollution, harmful algal blooms, accelerating land loss, and risks to biodiversity threaten the vitality of estuaries across the country, and are a growing concern.
Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the original sponsor of the bill said, “Estuaries nurture a vast array of marine life, filter pollutants from rivers before they reach the sea, and are the natural infrastructure that protects human communities from floods and storms. As extreme weather events increasingly threaten these nurseries of the sea, I’m very proud this important legislation was signed into law, so these critical waterways will continue to be protected.”
“These actions demonstrate a clear recognition by Congress of the economic and environmental value of our nation’s estuaries and coasts,” said Lexie Bell, Chair of the national nonprofit Association of National Estuary Programs, established in 1995 to bring the 28 National Estuary Programs together for collaboration and shared learning.
“In addition to funding research and monitoring, and providing technical assistance and grants to communities, the National Estuary Program ensures that the management plans governing nationally significant estuaries consider the effects of increasing and recurring extreme weather events and develop and implement appropriate adaptation strategies,” said Rachel Rouillard, PREP’s Director. “We are greatly appreciative of the strong support from our Senators and Representatives for the important work being done along our coasts and in our estuaries through our program and in collaboration with so many partners across sectors,” said Rouillard.
Last year, PREP successfully worked to update the region’s 10-year Comprehensive Conservation Master Plan with 150 partners from across the region in both NH and ME, and to develop a Climate Vulnerability Assessment of management and policy actions underway to protect coastal resources . For more information about PREP, please visit: Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (prepestuaries.org)