Born in the wake of elevated concern about environmental pollution, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970. Since its inception, the EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. The EPA recognized the vital importance of our Nation’s estuaries and their resources. From this, the EPA created the National Estuary Program (NEP) – designed to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of the Barnegat Bay and 27 other estuaries of national significance. This collaborative, inclusive of the Barnegat Bay Partnership, serves as an efficient and adaptable ecosystem-based network of organizations dedicated to their cause.