One key element tying these two issues together is that any 
plan to manage or restore SAV in the Bay must fully comprehend 
those factors that control SAV growth and survival. There is 
evidence suggesting that in addition to direct losses by dredge- 
and-fill operations, SAV in the Bay, as well as in many other 
parts of the world, are affected by nutrient inputs and sus¬ 
pended sediments. Areas of the greatest SAV decline are in 
close proximity to urban or industrial areas suggesting that 
man’s activities are directly responsible for much of the de¬ 
cline. Natural perturbations, such as hurricanes and ice scour 
also occur, but these events are beyond human control. If SAV 
is to be a part of the Bay's future, we must concentrate our 
efforts on controlling sediment and nutrient input into the Bay 
and its estuaries. 
Since sediment and nutrient inputs are often cited as 
factors in the overall decline of the Bay, Federal and State Bay 
cleanup efforts will certainly have positive benefits for these 
systems. These cleanup activities are aimed at reducing sedi¬ 
ment and nutrient input by controlling runoff with Federal land 
use practices, such as buffer strips along shorelines and farm¬ 
lands and improved wastewater treatment facilities. Although 
some actions are currently being implemented, stricter enforce¬ 
ment and better controls will be necessary in the future as the 
population in the Bay's watershed increases and the demands 
placed on the Bay's resources increase. 
The long-term solution to the Bay's problems and SAV health 
will be difficult and expensive to implement but are absolutely 
necessary if we are to maintain current conditions. It is also 
important to examine those activities having an adverse impact 
on SAV beds in the short-term and determine viable solutions. 
The most immediate problems are dredge-and-fill operations 
that permanently remove SAV habitats. Because SAV beds are so 
reduced in abundance, those areas still containing viable beds 
are now even more important. As water conditions improve, these 
beds may serve as a source of propagules for natural revegeta¬ 
tion of nearby denuded areas or for future transplanting pro¬ 
jects. Thus, resource managers should give serious considera¬ 
tion to any proposed project that would have an adverse impact 
on SAV. It's obvious, however, that in some situations, 
economic benefits of these projects may be substantial and need 
to be weighed in light of the importance of SAV. 
Transplant programs for SAV in the Bay have their place,but 
should be viewed today with caution. Transplanting may be the 
only mechanism for revegetating areas that are totally devoid of 
any SAV. These areas may be so far removed from any existing 
bed that natural revegetation may not occur. Transplanting, 
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