Photo by Tim Briggs
Published: July 24, 2026
Earlier this spring, the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) invited public feedback on a draft of our ten-year communications strategy: PREP Communications Strategy – A Ten-Year Plan (2025–2035). The public comment period was held from April 6, 2026 to June 5, 2026. During this time period, PREP made the following available on our website:
- A draft available for public reviewing
- An official form to obtain public comment
Simultaneously, PREP invited their Management Committee to review an identical draft and submit their feedback and discussion about the draft. PREP staff compiled the public comment received during this time period and it is now part the public record. The public comment record may be reviewed at the button below.
PREP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs funded under Clean Water Act §320. As part of a federal, non-regulatory program under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PREP was required to hold a public comment process (to capture, record, and respond to public comments) for our PREP Communications Strategy because this plan will become an official supplement of our Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP).
What Happens Next
PREP will continue to work on this draft with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on edits. Additionally, we plan to present a final draft to our Management Committee for a vote at the September 2026 meeting. If PREP's Management Committee votes to approve this draft, PREP will work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on formal approval and adoption.
Once approved and adopted, it will be published as a formal supplement to our 2025-2035 Piscataqua Region Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. It will be available on our website: PREPestuaries.org
About PREP's Strategic Communications Plan
This plan is a required supplement to PREP’s CCMP under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the non-regulatory National Estuary Programs, like PREP.
PREP’s new Strategic Communications Plan articulates our high-level communications goals for the next ten years and provides a framework that helps guide decisions across many projects and/or campaigns. It is designed to guide how PREP communicates about estuary science, restoration, partnerships, and water quality efforts across the Piscataqua Region watershed. This plan for and will be carried out by PREP staff.
Our communications are always in service of a larger goal: supporting the work of the region’s 2025-2035 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and helping people understand, care about, and take action for healthy estuaries.
Photo by Emily Lord