APNEP to host Public Listening Sessions on sea level rise and population growth.
New APNEP Projects
APNEP implements our Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan by partnering with others involved in protecting and restoring the natural resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. To learn more about some of the recent and ongoing projects that APNEP has been involved with, please visit our projects page.
One recent APNEP project involved the publication of an educational insert in the Raleigh News and Observer. The insert is available in pdf format here. You can learn more about News and Observer’s Newspapers in Education Program and the Wyland Foundation by clicking on these links to visit their websites.
EPA Delivers First National Estuary Coastal Condition Report
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its first National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report, which ranks the condition of ecological resources in the 28 estuaries of EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP). This report serves as a foundation for the EPA's efforts to protect, manage and restore coastal ecosystems.
"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Estuary Program, we are seeing that nothing can compare to the value of partnerships in delivering lasting environmental results," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "Under the leadership of President Bush, more than 1 million acres of coastal habitat have been restored and protected. Together with our vital partners, EPA is ensuring our coasts and wetlands remain beautiful, ecologically-sound treasures for generations of Americans."
Overall, the NEPs are in fair condition and scored better than, or equa,l to all other non-NEP in the United States estuaries despite significant population pressures. The information in the report is based upon EPA-sponsored monitoring data collected from 28 NEPs between 1999 and 2003 as well as monitoring data collected by the individual NEPs.
The data were collected as part of EPA's National Coastal Assessment: the most comprehensive and nationally consistent data set available on estuarine conditions. The NEP estuaries were rated individually, regionally and nationally using four primary indicators of estuarine condition: water quality, sediment quality, benthic (bottom) condition and fish-tissue contaminant concentrations.
While population pressures in the NEPs were greater than those in the non-NEP estuaries from 1990-2000, the NEP estuaries showed the same estuarine conditions as, or better than, other coastal waters overall. By 2000, more than two-thirds of the coastal population lived in NEP counties, which comprise less than six percent of the coastal land area.
Twenty-eight of the nation's estuaries are located in 18 coastal states and Puerto Rico. They have been designated as estuaries of national significance because of their unique economic, ecological, recreational and aesthetic values.
In the United States, estuaries provide habitat for more than 75 percent of America's commercial fish catch. Estuarine-dependent fisheries are among the most valuable, with an estimated worth of more than $1.9 billion nationwide. Coastal recreation and tourism generate an additional $8 bilion to $12 billion annually.
NEP Coastal Condition Report: http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nepccr/index.html
June is National Oceans Month
The President has proclaimed June 2007 as National Oceans Month. Especially during National Oceans Month, we underscore our commitment to being good stewards of the oceans and recognize all who are dedicated to making our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes cleaner, healthier and more productive. By continuing to work together, we can conserve and enjoy the splendor of these magnificent waters now and for generations to come. A number of ocean-related activities are underway during June, including a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the National Estuary Program. The proclamation is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070531-6.html.
Watershed Tool of the Month STORET
EPA’s STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) data warehouse contains biological, chemical and physical data on surface and ground water collected by federal, state and local agencies, Indian Tribes, volunteer groups, academics, and others. A broad variety of data from states, territories and jurisdictions across the United States is in the system. All field work data are keyed to the specific location at which the field work is conducted, thereby linking water quality measurements to the place they represent. STORET is web-enabled and available to the public. With a standard web browser, you can browse the data warehouse interactively or create files to be downloaded to your computer. If you want to query and download data from STORET, go to http://www.epa.gov/storet/. On June 21, EPA hosted a Webcast on the use of STORET and its benefits. For more information on the Webcast, visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.