Protecting Living Resources 



the use of lawn fertilizer in urban and suburban neighborhoods and 

 cleaning city streets. They may also include requiring NPDES 

 permits for sources not traditionally considered point sources. 

 Construction activities, animal feedlots, storm drains, car washes, 

 and laundry facilities, for instance, may be issued permits. In 

 addition, EPA is issuing stormwater permitting regulations and a 

 national combined sewer overflow (CSO) permitting strategy. 



A Management Conference should look at as many management 

 options as possible if living resources management is a goal. An 

 estuary's living resources range from fish and their spawning 

 habitat to microscopic phyto- and zooplankton at the bottom of the 

 food chain. Waterfowl and marshlands adjacent to the estuary are 

 also estuarine resources. 



Through the public participation program and the scientific charac- 

 terization effort, the Management Conference determines which 

 natural resources are of greatest public concern and which ones 

 are critical to maintaining and restoring the stability and diversity of 

 the ecosystem. The public often measures an estuary's health by 

 the state of its living resources. Citizens may voice concern, for 

 example, if a particular living resource like striped bass, oysters, or 

 waterfowl is declining. An action plan can be directed to this popular 

 resource, while contributing to the enhancement of the estuarine system. 



Declines in living resources usually indicate a greater problem; 

 therefore, the cause must be determined. Poor water quality is often 

 the reason. Destruction of habitat or modification of spawning, 

 nursery, and forage areas also stresses fish and wildlife. Overfish- 

 ing and overharvesting, along with natural climatic changes and 

 disease, may further affect living resources. 



Generally, the causes of a declining species or altered habitat are 

 complex. Although some causes may have been identified during 

 characterization, others may require additional study. In any case, 

 because the recovery period for living resources is long, interim 

 steps aimed at suspected causes may be in order. Additional 

 actions can follow once the actual causes have been discovered. 



The preservation of living resources may require using an array of 

 protective strategies. It may be necessary, for example, to control 

 commercial and recreational catches. Wildlife and wetlands or 

 other habitats may also need immediate protection. 



Enhancement strategies may be considered to supplement protec- 

 tive strategies. These include stocking hatcheries, planting wet- 

 lands or undenwater grasses, and initiating aquacultural programs. 

 Obviously, such enhancements will require water and sediment of 

 acceptable quality. 



In its planning to protect and restore living resources, the Con- 

 ference should also consider special protection areas, such as 

 those set aside under federal, state, regional, and local programs. 

 Some waters that have exceptionally significant recreational or 

 ecological features may warrant special protection. Antidegrada- 

 tion policies may be developed for these waters. Other measures 

 to protect exceptional areas include setting higher standards, 

 severely restricting waste inputs, designating no-discharge areas, 



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