Full document / COSOC-W-86-002 - the National Sea Grant Library

516
There is an urgent and unprecedented need for management policies
that will arrest the resulting environmental problems before marine
systems are irreversibly degraded and their valuable resources
irretrievably lost and multiple dwelling units elbow out
recreational opportunities and natural habitats while asphalt
substitutes for ambiance.
Framework for Managing Entuariw Preservaticn
Protection of the nation's estuaries has been identified as a
national priority. Congress has charged the Environmental
Protection Agency with the responsibilities for restoring water
quality and living resources through improved estuary management.
To carry out the Congressional authorization, EPA established the
national Estuary Program (NEP) within the Office of Marine and
Estuarine Protection (OMEP). One national program is implemented
through the EPA Regional Offices under the guidance of the OMEP.
To provide assurance of strong scientific support Congress has
charged the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration
(N.O.A.A.) through the National Estuarine Management Office to take
responsibility for research into living resources and habitat
protection.
The U.S. Pish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers
make up the remainder of the responsible agencies of the federal
government.
Host states bordering our nation's estuaries have established
environmental management structures to deal with coastal and
estuarine systems. For example:
Some states have taken the initiative to deal directly with the
critical land areas within 1000 feet of shore. Towns and cities
bordering coastal areas and bays have recognized their role as the
first line of defense against estuarine degradation. Ccrmunity and
municipal officials have the direct responsibility for sewage
treatment, land use planning, zoning and agricultural practices.
In some states, officials from towns and cities at the headwaters of
rivers and streams have recognized their role in the restoration and
preservation effort and have begun to address the problem of
deforestation and land conversion on bays and estuaries many miles
down stream.
This formal institutional structure is held responsible for defining
the problem, developing a framework for action, setting goals and
designing mechanises for achieving those goals. Some way trust be
found for the these institutions and the people who man them to
sustain the will and the necessary resources for the decades
required to achieve water quality and habitat protection goals.