This cooperative agreement is provided to massachusetts executive office of energy and environmental affairs (MA eoeea) to support the implementation of the buzzards BAY national estuary program…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 awarded $2.2 million to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on July 1, 2025, under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) to support implementation of the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan through January 31, 2028. This cooperative agreement funds a comprehensive suite of estuary restoration and protection activities designed to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of Buzzards Bay while supporting sustainable human uses. Key deliverables include wetland restoration and open space protection initiatives, stormwater remediation and technical assistance to municipalities, water quality monitoring programs, environmental indicators tracking, specialized technical assistance, salt marsh loss assessments, and finalization of an updated Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.

Sub-awardees executing specific program components include the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Inc., which manages three primary monitoring initiatives: the Baywatchers water quality monitoring program utilizing trained volunteers to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and water clarity during the May-September period; long-term salt marsh monitoring at 13 designated sites including evaluation of pilot restoration techniques employing runnels and drone imagery analysis; and a River Monitoring Program conducted in partnership with Woodwell Climate Research Center to measure stage, flow, and nutrient concentrations across the Buzzards Bay river network. These coordinated monitoring and restoration activities support the program's ecosystem-based management objectives across the designated National Estuary Program jurisdiction.

This cooperative agreement is provided to massachusetts executive office of energy and environmental affairs (MA eoeea) to support the implementation of the buzzards BAY national estuary program (bbnep) comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp). The goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the estuary and support its sustainable human uses through tasks outlined in annual workplans of the bbnep and its partners. The cooperative agreement supports activities that will remediate and restore wetlands, lessen pollution from stormwater and wastewater, and help communities with open space and natural resource planning and protection.activities:the workplan for the buzzards BAY national estuary program (bbnep) includes the following activities that will help meet the goals of the comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp): - wetland restoration and open space protection; - stormwater remediation and technical assistance; - municipal grant program; - water quality monitoring; - environmental indicators and outcomes tracking; - specialized technical assistance; - salt marsh loss assessment and runnel study; and - finalizing the updated ccmp.subrecipient:the buzzards BAY national estuary program (bbnep) is proposing the following subawards to implement their comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp): - municipal grant program; - buzzards BAY coalition (BBC) baywatchers water quality monitoring report; - new bedford sea lab support; - salt marsh drone survey; - river monitoring program; and - salt marsh runnel study.outcomes:the goal of this assistance agreement to the buzzards BAY national estuary program (bbnep) is to implement their comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp). The goal is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the estuary and support its sustainable human uses. Anticipated outcomes and deliverables include: - the permanent protection of open space throughout buzzards BAY; - annual reporting of wetland and habitat acres protected or restored; - stormwater engineering designs for priority sites; - updated shellfish bed closure maps; - report on wastewater loading to buzzards BAY; - report on the history of salt marsh boundary changes in buzzards BAY; and - an updated final ccmp. Intended beneficiaries of this program include: - residents of acushnet, bourne, dartmouth, fairhaven, gosnold, marion, mattapoisett, new bedford, rochester, wareham, and westport, massachusetts; - the residents of the southeast new england program (snep) region; - the general public who utilize or recreate in the buzzards BAY watershed study area; and - the ecosystems and ecosystem services of buzzards BAY.