Report from the Director, June, 2008 - The National Estuary is funded under the Clean Water Act and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Every three years, each of the 28 local NEPs undergoes a program evaluation called an Implementation Review; the NBEP will be reviewed in the next round of reviews in early 2009. EPA staff use a newly developed evaluation method and participate in a series of meetings and conference calls that culminate in a 2-3 day site visit to the program being reviewed. The review team also includes a director from another NEP. I recently served that role in the EPA review of the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, located in Portland, ME. It's a great way to learn about the successes achieved and the challenges faced by NEPs and I have found that participating in these reviews provides ideas for improving our own program.

The Casco Bay NEP had arranged for the site visit team to visit project sites and to spend time with key partners who have strong roles in implementing the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Casco Bay and its watershed. It was clear from the comments of the stakeholders that the program had invested time in building and supporting broad networks for action. The Casco Bay program has had strong stakeholder involvement with a 30+ member management committee representing a diverse array of interests. In recent times the program changed its name from the Casco Bay Estuary Program to the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership to reflect how important the concept of partnership is to that effort. The committee members told the review team that it was truly a partnership, working collaboratively toward common watershed goals. The committee also identified the Casco Bay program as a catalyzing force in collaborative actions.

In developing the Status & Trends report for Narragansett Bay and its watershed, it has been clear that there are many data gaps that need to be filled in order to tell a more complete ecosystem condition story. In Casco Bay, the NEP has had a long-term partnership with the Casco Baykeeper program in running a volunteer bay monitoring program. One hundred shoreside and bay sites are monitored on a monthly basis for dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, and other parameters by Baykeeper staff and a dedicated crew of volunteers. This effort has produced excellent trend data on bay water quality. Because the program uses EPA-approved quality assurance protocols, the data is solid and is used by a variety of users including state environmental agencies. It helps the State of Maine meet requirements for assessing state waters and is used in TMDLs and for other regulatory needs.

Seeing the extent of the Casco Bay monitoring effort naturally led me to reflect on Narragansett Bay monitoring. While we have increased monitoring of a number of parameters in the Bay in recent times, we do not have the extensive temporal and spatial monitoring coverage that Casco Bay possesses. Limited data translates into a limited ability to make statements regarding the condition of the Bay ecosystem. Given the budget trends we are facing, and recognizing the success of existing water quality assessment programs like URI's Watershed Watch, it may be that the time is right to explore developing a Bay-wide volunteer monitoring network for Narragansett Bay that is similar to Casco Bay's effort. Better monitoring data could be used by a variety of agencies and organizations and would certainly allow us to make management decisions based on a clearer picture of ecosystem condition. And effective volunteer activities are a great way to engage the public and increase stewardship of the Bay's resources.

Richard Ribb, Director