Coordination for the Estuary
PREP is a proud participant of the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (HSE) Collaborative; a group of local, state, and federal organizations focused on improving the long-term health and vitality of the estuary and its communities. We seek to align our collective resources and activities to more effectively provide the science and data that communities need to understand, manage, and protect the estuary. Additionally, the HSE Collaborative is exploring near-term opportunities for collaboration and aims to ensure our efforts are mutually supportive, contribute to commonly shared goals for the estuary, and set the stage for longer-term more robust monitoring, adaptive management, and restoration.
Learn more about the HSE Collaborative and meeting information
Community Protections for Water Quality and Natural Resources
The Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment (PREPA) provides an analysis of regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to resource management in the 52 municipalities in the Piscataqua Region watershed. As part of the assessment, PREP makes recommendations for actions communities can take to improve water quality and natural resource protections. The lastest PREPA was released in 2026. To gather information, Municipal Master/Comprehensive Plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision and site plan review regulations, and other factors were reviewed.
PREP also provides funding through our PREPA Grants. These grants support any of the 52 cities and towns within the Piscataqua Region Watershed in both Maine and New Hampshire. The program helps our communities make big strides in protecting their natural resources and water quality, as well as in preparing for and adapting to recurring extreme weather.
Learn more about the latest PREPA and the PREPA Grant Program
A Plan for the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary
PREP is supporting SHEA’s leadership in developing a Hampton Seabrook Estuary Management Plan (EMP), in coordination with local, state, and federal partners. The Plan will support decision-making and natural resource protection in the estuary and the communities surrounding it. The planning process will continue to engage the participants of the Hampton Seabrook Estuary Collaborative for technical information and needs, members of the communities of Seabrook and Hampton, and town-level decision makers to build a management plan that will establish indicators and a data collection plan, as well as policy and management recommendations for improved water quality and habitat protection.
Learn more about SHEA's EMP
A Free Stormwater Communications Toolkit for Your Community
PREP’s Stormwater Toolkit is a free online resource to help communities in Maine, New Hampshire, and beyond talk about stormwater in clear and engaging ways. The toolkit includes 80+ ready-to-use communications assets—from social media posts and short videos to customizable text, graphics, and images—all designed to make stormwater education simple and effective. This toolkit helps residents understand what stormwater is, how it impacts our waters, and what we can do about it—while also celebrating the important work our cities and towns are already doing.
This toolkit is about turning up the simmer on stormwater education and an issue that impacts our entire watershed, including Great Bay and Hampton Seabrook Estuaries. Stormwater is water that’s already hit the ground—rain and snowmelt flowing over roads, parking lots, rooftops, and lawns. As it moves, it picks up pollution, causes flooding and erosion, and puts strain on our infrastructure, basements, and the rivers, lakes, and estuaries we care about.
Access and use PREP's Stormwater Toolkit
Adapting Together: Project Builder and Climate Impact Grants
PREP's Adapting Together is made up of two programs that support Piscataqua Region Watershed communities connected to the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook Estuaries as they adapt to extreme heat and/or flooding. Addressing extreme heat and flooding not only provides shade but can cool to reduce thermal runoff and/or capture heavy rainfall before pollutants reach our estuaries' waterways.
Project Builder is a grant proposal incubator for climate resilience projects. It helps communities turn ideas into strong, fundable projects that address extreme heat and/or flooding.
Climate Impact Grants offer up to $25,000 in funding for community-led projects responding to extreme heat and/or flooding. While Project Builder helps participants shape and strengthen their ideas, Climate Impact Grants (and other funding opportunities identified through the program) help participants bring those ideas to life.
