SEE OUR GOALS
MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Casco Bay Plan, a “Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan” or “CCMP,” guides the work to maintain and improve the ecological integrity of Casco Bay. The Plan was first written in 1996, subsequent to the 1990 designation of Casco Bay as an estuary of national significance, and it was updated in 2006. The current 3/4/2024 Draft Plan has been approved by CBEP’s Management Committee and awaits EPA approval.
READ THE FINAL CASCO BAY PLAN 2024
2016 Casco Bay Plan
Casco Bay is changing rapidly—with warmer waters, a changing mix of species, more intense storms, and changes in land use around the watershed. Through a collaborative process, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership invited public input in developing priority actions to help protect the Bay in the future. The Casco Bay Plan (2016 – 2021) was developed in association with many partner organizations and agencies, and outlines goals, strategies and actions for the coming years.
Goal 1
Protect, restore, and enhance key habitats that sustain ecological health.
CBEP commits to conserving priority undeveloped shorelines, protecting and restoring vital habitats such as eelgrass beds and tidal mudflats, enhancing connectivity among aquatic habitats, and stengthening the capacity of Casco Bay ecosystems to accommodate change.
Goal 2
Improve Casco Bay’s water quality by reducing nutrient pollution and its impacts, including coastal acidification.
CBEP promotes practices that reduce nutrient pollution, support public funding for improved stormwater management, and assess the dynamics of how nutrients enter and move within Casco Bay.
Goal 3
Foster resilient communities and their connections to Casco Bay.
CBEP seeks to increase public engagement with Casco Bay and to support collaborative initiatives that illuminate the region’s ecological and economic interconnections, celebrate the Bay’s importance, and help citizens and leaders increase the region’s resilience in the face of climate disruptions.
Goal 4
Mobilize collective knowledge and resources to support Casco Bay.
CBEP serves as a convener and catalyst, mobilizing scientific, financial and human resources to help residents throughout the watershed effectively address the complex and evolving challenges facing Casco Bay.
