New Partnership for Restoration in Southeast Coastal New England Margherita Pryor From Westerly, Rhode Island to Chatham, Massachusetts, Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resources the coastal watersheds of southeastern New England occupy Conservation Service, and the Small Business Administra- a distinct ecological and management niche between Long tion. The Agency should also include stakeholders from local Island Sound and the Gulf of Maine. With its layers of 400 governments and agencies, non-governmental organizations, years of development—from farming and fishing to indus- and academic institutions. The conferees also recommend trialization to suburban office parks—this area presents that the Agency, through this regional effort, facilitate the environmental challenges that are unique, but also represen- development of strategies to restore and protect the southern tative of the country at large. In addition to its splendid sense New England Estuaries. of place and nature, history has also left it with the cumula- In response, EPA Region 1 has been working with inter- tive impacts of centuries of ecological insults. Toxic residues, ested partners in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, channeled and impounded rivers, and highly altered natural including federal, state, and local agencies, the Narragansett systems are legacies now compounded by excess nutrients Bay and Buzzards Bay NEPs, and non-governmental organi- and increasing vulnerability to climate change. zations such as the Cape Cod Commission, to think through In facing these daunting challenges, Southeastern New an effective partnership framework. Consistent with Congres- England is fortunate to be home to multiple federal, state, and sional direction, the goal of this partnership places particular local agencies—along with dozens of universities, research emphasis on addressing key habitat and water quality priori- institutions, watershed groups, land trusts, and other non- ties, especially the nexus between them in key activities so governmental organizations. Together and separately, they include convening a working group to begin crafting a resto- have long, successful histories in protecting and restoring the ration action plan, identify immediate project opportunities, area’s much loved landscapes and waterbodies. But despite and explore potential options for sustaining restoration over their good efforts, it is clear that critical resources are still in the long term. EPA expects a website with more information trouble, with major implications for the area’s future econ- will be available at the beginning of 2013. omy and well-being of its citizens. With a focus on nutrient pollution as the major ecological One outcome of this greater awareness is a coming together problem facing our estuaries and coastal waters and a com- of concerned stakeholders, including Congress. In the FY12 mitment to restoration innovations, this new collaboration Omnibus Appropriations bill for EPA, Congress included the will provide a catalyst to promote sustainable solutions not following language: only in Southeastern New England, but in other regions as Southern New England Estuaries—The conferees recommend well. that the Agency convene and lead a comprehensive regional ~Margherita Pryor is NBEP coordinator for U.S. EPA Region 1. policy coordination and outreach effort to protect, Existing and Proposed Regional Frameworks enhance, and restore the coastal watersheds of southern for Addressing Coastal and Marine Issues: Proposed Council for Coastal Watershed Restoration New England. No entity or consortium exists to meet GOMC these challenges, and there is an urgent and immediate

need for such an effort. For example, in Rhode Island’s M A S S A C H U S E T T S Narragansett Bay, there are documented extensive areas of pollution severely degrading fish and wildlife habitat Chatham, MA(! and water quality; problems that are compounded by B the effects of warmer water temperatures and milder N winters. The conferees recommend that EPA establish goals for the regional effort, emphasizing water qual- Martha's Vineyard ity and habitat restoration as well as the development Westerly, CCWR RI (! and implementation of innovative technologies to meet these challenges and create jobs. The effort should pro-

vide for streamlined interagency communication, and Block I. LISS LISS = existing Long Island Sound Study (NY, CT) N = Narragansett Bay B = Buzzards Bay involve an inclusive stakeholder process. Specifically, GOMC = existing Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (MA, NH, ME, NB, NS) NROC = Northeast Regional Ocean Council (ME, NH, MA, EPA should collaborate with State agencies as well as RI, CT; EPA, DOI, DHS, ACE, USDA, NOAA)

Created by the US EPA Region 1 GIs Center on 10/22/2012. CCWR = Proposed Council for Coastal Watershed Map Tracker ID: 8829 Restoration (RI, MA) Note: all boundaries are approximate. other Federal partners such as the National Oceanic Sources: Basemap from ESRI. and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Click here to download a full-size PDF of this map. Narragansett Bay Journal www.nbep.org Winter 2012 1