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In 1990, Casco Bay was designated an "estuary of national significance"
under the US EPA's National Estuary Program, established in 1987 to
protect nationally significant estuaries threatened by pollution,
development or overuse. As a result of this designation, the
Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (CBEP) was formed and charged with
initiating a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Casco
Bay, the Casco Bay Plan,
completed in 1996.
The Casco
Bay Plan was developed through an
intensive local stakeholder process and set forth 33 recommended action
items in five topic areas to guide CBEP's work. These five topic
areas are:
Protecting and restoring
fish and wildlife habitats;
Decreasing pollution from stormwater and
combined sewer overflows;
Improving water quality to restore and sustain
open clam flats and protect swimming beaches;
Reducing toxic pollution; and
Promoting informed and responsible stewardship
Implementation of the Casco Bay Plan has
resulted in a remarkable amount of progress toward restoration and
protection of Casco Bay. However, new priorities and threats to
the Bay, such as marine invasive species and low impact development,
have emerged since the original plan development. To address
these issues, CBEP updated the Casco
Bay Plan in 2006, enabling CBEP to
incorporate advances, in science and technology and to acknowledge
changes in programs, political climates, regulatory frameworks, and
partnerships.
Below are links to both the 1996 Casco Bay
Plan and 2006 Casco Bay Plan
Update as well as a link to the Casco Bay Environmetnal Monitoring Program and a summary of progress on
implementation of the Plan(s).
1996 Casco Bay Plan
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