Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan

The 1991 CCMP (The 8/91 version was approved by EPA in 1992)

The Buzzards Bay NEP was the first National Estuary Program to draft a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan ("CCMP"). We were the trailblazer. Our sub-watershed approach, the Plan's focus on so-called "non-point sources" of pollution and land-use management, our approach to nitrogen management, and our focus on action by local government were cutting edge concepts when the document was first drafted in 1989.

In retrospect, our Management Plan was a simple and unassuming document, that lacked many details. The Plan outlined in plain terms the problems facing Buzzards Bay and simple recipes for addressing them.

Subsequent CCMPs by other National Estuary Programs were more polished and refined than ours, but many of our common sense strategies continue to be rediscovered elsewhere. In particular, the trend toward more involvement by local government and grass root groups for accomplishing actions to protect or restore the environment has become an almost universal theme. Though out the 1990's, there has been a trend toward devolution of government across the US. Federal and state government downsizing has placed a greater burden of responsibility to local government.

In Massachusetts, this trend toward devolution and downsizing of state and federal government can be accommodated since municipalities have long been delegated many of the environmental management responsibilities under the state's longstanding "Home Rule Amendments". In our Management Plan, local boards such as Conservation Commissions, Planning Boards, Boards of Health, and Boards of Selectmen are not only the first line of defense in protecting the environment, their cumulative decisions fundamentally define the existing and future environmental conditions of their community.

Announcement: The Buzzards Bay CCMP is being updated

On this page are links to the chapters and action plans of the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan completed in 1991, and approved by the US EPA in 1992. The Buzzards Bay NEP is now updating this landmark plan to reflect the great progress achieved since that plan was finalized, and to include new goals, objectives, and recommendations to meet the environmental needs for Buzzards Bay and the surrounding watershed thoughout the next decade. Go to our New CCMP page to see the working draft document which we hope will lead to many new successes to protect and restore water quality and living resources throughout the bay and watershed.

Download the 1991 Buzzards Bay CCMP
Download the entire Volume 1 (234 page main document) of the 1992 Buzzards Bay CCMP. Left click to open in a new window (if your browser reads pdf files), or right click to download onto your computer. This is a 11 MB pdf file, with imperfect OCR translation as a layer over the text. If you would rather just read specific chapters, use the links below.

After the CCMP was finalized in 1991, the focus of the Buzzards Bay NEP became the implementation of the Plan. Because the CCMP focused on actions of local government, the major focus of the Project became assitance of municipalities through grants and technical assistance.

Since the CCMP was written, many of the recommended actions have been achieved. We will soon add a summary page of completed actions for each Action Plan.

CCMP Executive Summary

Executive Summary to the CCMP (web page text version)
| | [pdf version]

CCMP Volume I: Management Recommendations and Action Plans

Note: The web page text version of each CCMP section below, contains most of the text, but may be missing many key diagrams and tables; refer to the pdf versions for a complete copy of that section.

1991 Governor's Letter [pdf version]

1992 EPA Approval Letter [pdf version]

Acknowledgments to the CCMP (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version; includes all names and TOC]

Chapter 1: Introduction to the CCMP (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version]

Chapter 2: History and Accomplishments of the Project (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version]

Chapter 3: The Buzzards Bay Setting: The Bay, Its Drainage Basin and Living Resources (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version]

Chapter 4: Characterization of Pollution Sources (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version]

Chapter 5: Action Plan Introduction (web page text version)
|    |    [pdf version]

ACTION PLANS

CCMP Volume II: Financial Plan

CCMP Volume II: Financial Plan [5.5 MB pdf version]

CCMP Volume III: Monitoring Plan

CCMP Volume III: Monitoring Plan [3.3 MB pdf version]

CFederal Consistency Report

EPA Federal Consistency Report
This EPA CCMP federal consistency requirement is distinct from NOAA and MCZM federal consistency.

Our program was established in 1985 after Congress designated Buzzards Bay an "estuary of national significance." We joined the NEP in 1987. Our mission is to protect and restore water quality and living resources in Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed through the implementation of the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Click to read more.

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