The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program

The National Estuary Program

The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established by Congress in 1987 through Section 320 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) to "identify, restore, and protect nationally significant estuaries of the United States."  The National Estuary Program is administrated by the Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).  There are 28 NEP’s throughout the United States.  The goal of the NEP is to prevent activities that: 

  • threaten an estuary's public water supply 
  • are harmful to shellfish, fish and wildlife populations 
  • negatively impact recreational opportunities for estuary residents

The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program

The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP) began in March 1995, when Governor Christine Todd Whitman submitted an application to the US EPA to have the Barnegat Bay/Little Egg Harbor estuarine system included in the National Estuary Program (NEP), that is, to be recognized as an “estuary of national significance.” 

In July 1995, US EPA Administrator Carol Browner officially named the Barnegat Bay/Little Egg Harbor estuarine system a National Estuary Program.    

In April 1996, the US EPA and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) signed a joint conference agreement and officially convened the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program Management Conference.  During the next eight years of the Program, the Management Conference was engaged in numerous activities to accomplish the development of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to meet the goals of Section 320 of the CWA.  The CCMP was approved on May 15, 2002. 

Mission

In cooperation with our community, the BBNEP is committed to action to restore, maintain, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Barnegat Bay estuary and its contributing watershed through the 21st century. We are guided by the following principles:

  • Encouraging and motivating residents and visitors to maintain an ethic of responsibility for the bay and the watershed.

  • Educating people about the cultural heritage, historic traditions, and natural estuarine resources of the Barnegat Bay watershed.

  • Implementing community-based environmental planning for an increased quality of life and economic viability for the region.

  • Integrating scientific data to prioritize the focal issues of point and nonpoint sources of pollution, habitat loss/open space, water quality degradation, and the multiple interests in the watershed region.

  • Promoting sustainable management of operative efforts of citizens, businesses, local, state, and federal governments and other stakeholders.

  • Acknowledging and planning for the rising population and increased uses of ground and surface water.

  • Maintaining recreational and commercial fisheries through a healthy watershed. 

Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)

Under the CCMP, the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program was charged with developing a coalition of government, private, and commercial interests for the preservation of the Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor estuaries by:

  • identifying  problems 
  • assessing trends 
  • designing pollution control 
  • developing  resource management strategies 
  • recommending corrective actions 
  • seeking implementation commitments 

Ecosystem-Based Management Approach

The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP) utilizes an ecosystem-based management approach to protecting and preserving the natural resources of the Barnegat Bay estuary. Ecosystem-based management relies on the following key principles:   1) partnerships and citizen participation; 2) a science-based approach, which means using the best available scientific knowledge (social, economic, and ecological) as a foundation for decision-making; 3) understanding natural resource interrelationships; and 4) focus on sustainability of whole ecological systems.  A long-term view.  And a comprehensive perspective, which means finding solutions that support economic prosperity, lasting livelihoods, and ecological health.   The program is focusing on the following issues to effect change and understanding of this complex system.

Water Quality/Water Supply   

Water quality in the Barnegat Bay watershed is being degraded by nonpoint and point sources of pollution.  Excessive nutrient inputs, coupled with bacterial pollution, upset the natural balance of the Barnegat Bay ecosystem and can directly impair human uses of the bay, including restriction on shellfish harvesting and swimming.  A significant amount of this pollution is attributed to development on land and the activities associated with development (e.g., paved surfaces, vehicle use, lawn and garden maintenance, and septic systems) although other sources, such as boats and wildlife populations, also contribute to the problem.

Public Participation and Education 

The public is essential to the protection of the estuary. The BBNEP is focused on increasing public understanding of the workings of the bay and its watershed and how individual actions impact the bay and its natural resources.

Habitat and Living Resources 

The continued health and biodiversity of marine and estuarine systems depends on the maintenance of high-quality habitat.  Threats to habitat in the Barnegat Bay watershed include conversion of open land and forest to residential and commercial development, highway construction, marinas, dredging and filling, and bulkheading.  Declines in fish and wildlife populations have resulted from fragmentation and loss of habitats and ecosystems; pollution and decreased water quality due to increases in the runoff of sediments, nutrients, and chemicals; and overexploitation of resources.

Human Activities and Competing Uses 

Given Ocean County’s increasing population and popularity as a resort area, the BBNEP recognizes the need to put constraints on the use of Barnegat Bay and its watershed.  Effective management of the natural resources of the Barnegat Bay estuary requires careful consideration of the balance between appropriate and necessary uses on the one hand, and protection of natural resources on the other.  The two primary areas of competing uses in the Barnegat Bay and its watershed are land use and development activities that threaten environmental quality and contention over the use of boats and personal watercraft.

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