In 1987, hundreds of North Carolinians began studying ways to secure the future of an irreplaceable resource - the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary. That effort, called the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study (APES) has painstakingly researched the problems facing this 30,000 square-mile-region.
The result of this process is the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The plan is a common sense guide for environmental stewardship of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary. The CCMP reflects the input of people from the region who will be affected by the plan's recommendations. The CCMP seeks to balance the need for economic growth in eastern North Carolina with the need to secure the environmental future of the region.
This section of the APNEP web allows you to explore the entire CCMP, which explains the scientific rationale for each recommended management action.
As a result of the APNEP, public involvement and interest in coastal issues has already increased and estuarine protection programs by government agencies and private industries have been expanded. Implementation of the CCMP, which is being coordinated by APNEP through the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will help to protect the natural heritage of the Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds region and ensure that it will be preserved for future generations.
The CCMP contains five management plans (Water Quality, Vital Habitats, Fisheries, Stewardship and Implementation) that address regional concerns. Each plan begins with a goal statement that outlines the purpose of the plan itself.
Each goal contains one or more objectives that list the purposes of the actions that will be needed to reach the stated goal.
Under each objective is a "Strategy" that describes how each objective is to be addressed. Strategies also describe existing programs and illustrate how they may be integrated with newer recommendations.
"Management Actions" are listed below each strategy. Management Actions describe what general action state agencies would take to achieve the broader objectives of the plan.
The implementation of each management action is explained with "Critical Steps." The critical steps specifically state which measures would need to be taken to implement a management action. The potential economic costs and considerations of management actions are also described here.
- Water QualityRestore, maintain, and enhance water quality in the region so that it is fit for fish, wildlife, and recreation.
- Vital HabitatsConserve and protect vital fish and wildlife habitats, and maintain the natural heritage of the region.
- FisheriesRestore or maintain fisheries and provide for their long-term, sustainable commercial and recreational use.
- StewardshipPromote responsible stewardship of the natural resources of the region.
- ImplementationImplement the CCMP to protect environmental quality and use the most cost-effective and equitable strategies.