“This bill goes a long way to improve our water quality and enhance our coastal resources,” Jones said. “Eastern North Carolina is home to the second largest estuary in the nation.  Water drawn from the Albermarle-Pamlico Estuary helps provide drinking water for our local communities and supports public infrastructure by supplying water for treatment plants and irrigation.  The overall quality of our estuary can also impact our commercial fishing industry.”
 
H.R. 1237 would provide for grants under the NEP to be used to fund research and technical work related to developing and implementing conservation and management plans for designated estuaries.  The bill would also authorize $5 million annually to fund the program for Fiscal Years 2001 through 2004.

Congress created the NEP in 1987 to study trends in estuarine water quality and develop Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans to identify and correct problems affecting our estuaries.  The Albermarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study was designated as the first NEP in the nation.  The Estuary’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management plan was developed in 1994 and is helping to set daily limits on the discharge of pollutants, control agricultural runoff, manage wastewater, and restore habitats.