Congress recognized the significance of preserving and enhancing coastal environments with the establishment of the National Estuary Program (NEP) in the Clean Water Act of 1987. The purpose of the NEP is to promote the development of comprehensive management plans for estuaries of national significance threatened by pollution, development, or overuse.
In 1988, the Governors of New York and New Jersey requested that the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary be formally designated an "Estuary of National Significance". It became one of twenty-one estuaries, nationwide, so designated. The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) was convened in a Management Conference as a partnership of federal, state, and local governments; scientists; civic and environmental groups; the fishing community; and business and industry working to protect and restore the Estuary. In 1987, Congress also required the preparation of a restoration plan for the New York Bight. Because the Harbor and Bight are inextricably linked within the larger ecosystem, which is the planning focus of the Management Conference, the Bight Restoration Plan is a product of the HEP.
The goal of the Harbor Estuary Program is to establish and maintain a healthy and productive ecosystem with full beneficial uses. To take steps toward the attainment of this goal, HEP has developed a proposed Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP or Plan) which defines specific actions to clean up, protect, restore, and enhance the Harbor/Bight ecosystem.
A FOCUS ON COMMITMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Plan contains numerous commitments and recommendations for the federal, state, interstate, and local agencies participating in the Management Conference. The commitments are good faith pledges by the responsible agencies that they intend to carry out the actions. Implementation of the full range of commitments and recommendations contained in the Plan would clearly require resources well beyond those currently available or foreseeable in the near term. The Program has not yet established priorities among the numerous commitments and recommendations contained in the Plan.
THE HARBOR ESTUARY PROGRAM SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT
In order to facilitate public review of the proposed Plan, HEP has prepared this Summary. It gives a broad overview of the goals and objectives of the Program in addition to a summary of specific actions. The public is invited to comment on the overall direction taken by the Program and to provide input on priorities. Those interested in commenting more specifically on proposed commitments and recommendations and their relative priority are encouraged to request the complete table of proposed actions and the full proposed CCMP. The CCMP Appendix and/or individual supporting documents identified in the CCMP Appendix are also available.
At this point, the Program welcomes a thorough public review of the proposed Plan. Concerned citizens are encouraged to review the Plan, participate in upcoming public meetings, and submit comments. Documents may be requested from any of the following:
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Seth Ausubel U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Marine and Wetlands Protection Branch (212) 264-6779 |
Karen Chytalo New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Marine Habitat Protection (516) 444-0467 |
Mary Downes Gastrich, Ph.D. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Science and Research (609) 292-1895 |
Please submit all comments to the following address:
NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program
CCMP Comments
USEPA
- Marine and Wetlands Protection Branch
290 Broadway
New York,
New York 10007-1866
The proposed Plan will be modified, based on the comments received. HEP's goal is that the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with the concurrences of the two Governors, will approve the final CCMP by December 1995.