Section 320 of the clean water act (CWA) authorizes the administrator of the environmental protection agency (EPA) to convene management conferences to develop comprehensive conservation and…

This $1,700,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) will support the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc. (CBBEP) in implementing their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to protect and restore the water quality, habitats, and living resources of the Texas Coastal Bend estuaries.

The funded activities include: 1) Coastal bird population restoration and education, 2) Environmental education field trips for K-12 students, 3) Environmental DNA assessment to identify Texas diamondback terrapin distribution and nesting habitat, 4) Invasive plant species removal and habitat restoration, and 5) Stewardship of CBBEP's coastal properties. A subaward will specifically support the terrapin habitat assessment project. These initiatives align with the NEP's goals of supporting sustainable management and protection of nationally significant estuarine ecosystems.

Section 320 of the clean water act (CWA) authorizes the administrator of the environmental protection agency (EPA) to convene management conferences to develop comprehensive conservation and management plans for estuaries of national significance that are threatened by pollution, development, or overuse. The agreement provides funding to coastal bend bays and estuaries program (CBBEP) for national estuary program (NEP) to support implementation of the NEP comprehensive conservation and management plan (CCMP) and EPA strategic plan goal 5: ensure clean and safe water for all communities and objective 5.2: - protect and restore waterbodies and watersheds to improve the water quality, protect the natural habitat and living resources, and support sustainable human uses in the estuary. The majority of this award will allow CBBEP to implement projects which contribute to toward the implementation of their CCMP and the remaining funds will be used for program administration in support of grant activities and the estuary council. Activities:the projects included will support activities that address the key challenges facing the estuary including assessing trends in water quality, habitats, natural resources and uses; coordinating implementation of the CCMP by the NEP, along with the state, federal, local agencies, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations (NGOS), citizens, partners, and others; and monitoring the effectiveness of activities conducted under the management conference approved CCMP and annual workplan. The activities to be performed by the CBBEP include the following activities: 1) CBBEP coastal bird management - the objectives are to 1) continue coastal bird population restoration efforts through management of colonial waterbird nesting sites, 2) implement education and outreach promoting stewardship of coastal birds and their habitat, 3) assist partners in observation and monitoring in coastal bird populations, and 4) provide stakeholders with technical assistance and expertise on coastal bird ecology and conservation, including assistance with tagging migratory birds. 2) delta discovery - the objective is to provide educational field trip opportunities for kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) students, and to aid teachers in increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources available to effectively teach science to students in local schools. 3) environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) assessment of the texas diamondback terrapin-the objective is to identify the distribution of texas diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin littoralis)and potential locations of nesting habitat in the texas coastal bend bays and estuaries. The project has three primary objectives: (1) determine the distribution of texas diamondback terrapin populations in the coastal bend BAY complexes using environmental DNA surveys; (2) determine if seasonal patterns of terrapin distribution exist; and (3) identify suitable nesting habitat sites in proximity to identified terrapin populations. 4) texas gulf region cooperative weed management area (CWMA)-treatment of brazilian peppertree-the objective is to perform habitat restoration activities, specifically, removal of invasive plant species, to improve the diversity of native plants and wildlife populations at the wetlands located on lands owned by texas gulf region CWMA members. 5) land conservation and stewardship - the objective is to promote the stewardship of coastal resources through the implementation of responsible and sustainable adaptive management techniques on CBBEP properties. Subrecipient:environmental DNA assessment of the texas diamondback terrapin: the subawardee will identify the distribution of texas diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin littoralis)and potential locations of nesting habitat in the texas coastal bend bays and estuaries. The three primary objectives are: (1) determine the distribution of texas diamon