Environmental 



Quality Goals and 



Objectives for the 



Estuary 



Setting Goals 



Based on public feedback and other selection criteria, the manage- 

 ment committee then recommends which priority problems should 

 be the focus of the CCMP. The policy committee is responsible for 

 adopting management committee recommendations and for secur- 

 ing commitments of local, state, and federal resources to solve the 

 problems. A well-presented and understandable characterization 

 report and summary documents can help to enlist these critical 

 commitments. 



When Congress established the National Estuary Program under 

 the Water Quality Act, it mandated the restoration and maintenance 

 of the nation's estuaries. The law provides that estuarine produc- 

 tivity is to be assured, and the needs of an array of users are to be 

 accommodated. The fvlanagement Conference is charged with 

 achieving this intricate balance by setting broad environmental 

 quality goals that comply with the mandate of the Act and should 

 reflect the will of the people. 



Goals, Objectives, and Action Plans 



GOALS are broad, long-term aims the Management Conference sets 

 for the estuary. 



OBJECTIVES are more specific, shorter-term targets for attaining 

 goals. 



ACTION PLANS are detailed programs for meeting goals and objec- 

 tives, indicating who, what, where, when, and how the plans will be 

 carried out. 



Goals are usually long term and broad in scope. The Conference 

 establishes overall goals related to the desired condition for the 

 estuary and its segments. To determine what goals the public 

 wants to attain and will support, the Management Conference 

 presents options for public discussion. These may range from 

 maintaining current conditions to restoring the estuary to a past 

 condition, or to restoring or maintaining pristine quality. 



In one tributary where Whitewater sports are popular, for example, 

 the goal might be to maintain a pristine condition. In an industrial- 

 ized segment, it might be to maintain the current condition by 

 preventing further degradation. In yet another segment, the goal 

 might be to restore wetlands to a previous, healthier condition. 



Setting goals requires the public to understand the effects of 

 population growth. Everyone must be aware that the needs of a 

 growing population increase pollutant loads, foster industrial and 

 commercial development, and create additional demands on water 

 use. The consequences of population growth may be habitat 

 modification and further environmental degradation. 



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