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Each of the 28 National Estuary Programs (NEPs) is charged with the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, or CCMP, which serves as a blueprint for maintaining and improving the waters of that particular estuary. The NEP process begins with convention of a Management Conference, made up of a broad cross-section of stakeholders representing the various user groups who work to assess current threats to the estuary. While finding consensus among individuals, organizations, businesses, or agencies with potentially conflicting interests in an estuary is challenging, consensus is the only way to effectively develop a long range management strategy for the estuary.
The Management Conference first identified five priority issue areas that would become the focus of the NEP's efforts - Water Quality, Living Resources, Habitat Management, Human Uses, and Education & Public Involvement. Then they solicited independent characterization studies to assess the status and trends of key environmental "indicators" and to provide recommendations regarding issues to be addressed by the NEP. Based upon the characterization studies and community input, issue workgroups began compiling specific actions for improving the Mobile Bay Estuary. These action items evolved to become the essence of the CCMP.
The CCMP is not a static document. Most characterization studies have indicated that existing data is incomplete or inadequate to fully assess the scope of environmental problems in the estuary, so the characterization process is necessarily on-going. As actions are implemented or completed, emerging issues are identified and addressed, and actions subsequently are modified or added to the CCMP Priorities. An NEP serves as an umbrella organization to pull together key stakeholders who will guide the development and implementation of its consensus-based CCMP.
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