Section 320 of the CWA authorizes the administrator of the EPA to convene management conferences to develop comprehensive conservation and management plans for estuaries of national significance…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 awarded $1.7 million to the Center for Inland Bays under the National Estuary Program (CFDA 66.456) to implement the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for the Delaware Inland Bays estuary. The award, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027, supports ecosystem restoration and water quality protection activities authorized under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. Key deliverables include expanded baygrass restoration efforts, enhancement and restoration of fish populations and their habitats, maximization of natural shorelines, increased regulatory protections and restoration of wetlands, and pollution reduction from developed landscapes.

Additional services delivered through this funding include enhancement and expansion of the James Farm Ecological Preserve's childhood education programs and completion of the Susan K. Ball Education Center. The award also supports ongoing environmental monitoring programs, volunteer science projects (including horseshoe crabs, shore zone fish, blue crabs, diamondback terrapins, and reforestation initiatives), integration of legacy data into citizen monitoring databases, and development of the State of the Inland Bays Report. These coordinated activities assess trends in water quality, habitats, and natural resources while monitoring the effectiveness of CCMP implementation in collaboration with state, federal, local agencies, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and community partners.

Description

Section 320 of the CWA authorizes the administrator of the 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 delaware center for inland bays for national estuary program (NEP) to support implementation of the NEP comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp) and EPA's pillar 1: clean air, land, and water for every american. Work to be accomplished includes: expanded baygrass restoration efforts, enhancing and restoring fish populations and their habitats, maximizing amount of natural shorelines, increasing regulatory protections for the wetlands and restoring previously lost wetlands, reducing pollution from the developed landscape, enhancing james farm ecological preserve and education program through the continued expansion of the childhood education programs and completion of the susan k ball education center, maintaining environmental monitoring programs, ongoing volunteer science projects including programs for horseshoe crabs, shore zone fish and blue crabs, diamondback terrapins and reforestation projects, adding legacy data to citizen monitoring program data base, development of the state of the inland bays report, and more. 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, ngos, citizens, partners, and others; and monitoring the effectiveness of activities conducted under the management conference approved ccmp and annual workplan. Work to be accomplished includes: expanded baygrass restoration efforts, enhancing and restoring fish populations and their habitats, maximizing amount of natural shorelines, increasing regulatory protections for the wetlands and restoring previously lost wetlands, reducing pollution from the developed landscape, enhancing james farm ecological preserve and education program through the continued expansion of the childhood education programs and completion of the susan k ball education center, maintaining environmental monitoring programs, ongoing volunteer science projects including programs for horseshoe crabs, shore zone fish and blue crabs, diamondback terrapins and reforestation projects, adding legacy data to citizen monitoring program data base, and development of the state of the inland bays report. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: conducting 14 radio/TV interviews, distributing e-newsletter to 10,000 people annually, coordinating one public education and outreach meeting annually, developing and piloting HOA engagement program, coordinating community land or water-based cleanups, collecting 1000 pounds of trash and debris annually, conduct at least 3 cleanups along adopt a highway stretch annually, develop and deliver public education lecture series focused on multiple topics in the ccmp, develop and pilot the student estuary action and stewardship program 2025, offer one day development opportunity for formal and informal educators, and more. The expected outcomes include fostering meaningful relationships with nanticoke tribe through a variety of educational programs, continuing to foster and develop new and ongoing relationships with additional k-12 schools through education programs annually, participation in mid-atlantic NOAA marine debris action plan workgroup annually, reach 2,000 people through outreach and public events annually, new, calibrated HD/WQ model for inland bays, ability to predict changes on inland bays water quality and habitat, better understanding of hydrodynamic, geochemical, and biological processes in the inland bays, and