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…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 awarded a $1.7 million Project Grant to the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Inc. under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) effective September 1, 2025, through February 28, 2027. This award supports implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for the Coastal Bend estuary, a nationally significant estuary designated under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. The funding enables the organization to conduct water quality and habitat assessments, coordinate CCMP implementation across state, federal, local, and non-governmental partners, and monitor the effectiveness of management activities.

Specific deliverables include Project #2601 (Coastal Bird Management), which focuses on restoring coastal bird populations through colonial waterbird nesting site management, habitat enhancement, predator control, public education programs, and migratory bird tracking assistance; and Project #2602 (Delta Discovery), which provides K-12 educational field trip opportunities and professional development for teachers. These projects address key ecosystem challenges facing the estuary while advancing EPA Pillar 1 objectives for clean air, land, and water through collaborative stakeholder engagement and scientific monitoring.

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 the coastal bend bays and estuaries program for national estuary program (NEP) to support implementation of the NEP comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp) and EPA pillar 1: clean air, land, and water for every american. 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 government organizations (ngos), citizens, partners, and others; and monitoring the effectiveness of activities conducted under the management conference approved ccmp and annual workplan. Individual projects include: - project #2601 coastal bird management; this project works to continue coastal bird population restoration efforts through management of colonial waterbird nesting sites, including habitat enhancement, protection, predator control, and reduction of anthropogenic impacts, develop and implement public education and outreach programs that promote awareness and stewardship of coastal birds and their habitats, assist partners in efforts to observe and monitor changes in coastal bird populations for management purposes, and provide resource agencies, researchers, and other stakeholders with expertise on coastal bird ecology, habitats, and conservation needs including assistance in tagging migratory birds for tracking. - project #2602 delta discovery; this project works to provide educational field trip opportunities for k-12 students and also to aid teachers in increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources available to effectively teach science to students in local schools. - project #2603 wastewater treatment plant assessment; the proposed project will conduct an engineering assessment of the wastewater system and assist the community in the preparation of a funding application to address infrastructure needs. - project #2609 land conservation and stewardship; the primary project objective is to promote the stewardship of coastal resources through the implementation of responsible and sustainable adaptive management techniques on coastal bend bays and estuaries program (cbbep) properties. Subrecipient:conducting an engineering assessment of the wastewater system and assist the community in the preparation of a funding application to address infrastructure needs. Deliverables: for this project include a contract with the coastal bend COG, request for proposals for engineering services, contract for engineering services, assessment report of the wwtp, and application for funds needed to implement recommendations. Additional deliverables include semi-annual progress reports, draft final report, and final report. Project outcomes: the expected outcome of this project is improved water quality in the coastal bend creeks and bays through load reductions of both bacteria and nutrients.outcomes:- project #2601 coastal bird management; this project works to continue coastal bird population restoration efforts through management of colonial waterbird nesting sites, including habitat enhancement, protection, predator control, and reduction of anthropogenic impacts, develop and implement public education and outreach programs that promote awareness and stewardship of coastal birds and their habitats, assist partners in efforts to observe and monitor changes in coastal bird populations for management purposes, and provide resource agencies, researchers, and other stakeholders with expertise on coastal bird ecology, h