Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP)

Our principal customers are the municipal Boards of Health, Conservation Commissions, Planning Boards, Public Works Departments, Boards of Selectman, citizens, and environmental nonprofits of the Buzzards Bay watershed. Our work is non-regulatory and science-based. We support municipalities through grants and technical assistance, including project development, stormwater remediation design, plan review, permitting assistance, technical evaluations, planning, GIS support, and environmental analyses.

Overview and additional information

Established under the federal 1987 Clean Water Act Amendments, the National Estuary Program is a place-based effort to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance and their surrounding watersheds. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) administers two National Estuary Programs (NEPs) in the state. These NEPs are funded by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For more detailed information on the BBNEP, see the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program Plans for Action page.