Several National and Local Organizations Partnered to Honor Senator Jack Reed and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

The Awards recognize national leadership efforts to advance estuarine restoration and protection efforts at Pre-National Estuaries Week Celebration in Rhode Island

The National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Restore America's Estuaries, Association of National Estuary Programs, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Save The Bay, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management joined together to recognize U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse for their national and state leadership efforts to help protect and restore our nation's precious estuaries at an event on Prudence Island yesterday.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit, and Acting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan were among the dignitaries in attendance at the event. Following the award presentation, the group received a full tour of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve facilities and adjacent beaches, marshes, and waterways to learn more about estuarine research, restoration, and education.

Resilient estuaries are fundamental to coastal economies. Congress recognized this in 1972 by adopting the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) where it created the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; by adopting the Clean Water Act amendments of 1987 where it created the National Estuary Program; and by passing The Estuary Restoration Act in 2000, which makes restoring estuaries a national priority. Essential to the success of these three estuary programs have been federal, state, and non-profit partnerships that leverage innovation and scientific expertise, while sharing a strong commitment to ensure that coastal communities thrive.

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Founded in 1987, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) and is dedicated to the protection, understanding, and science-based management of our nation’s estuaries—the valuable areas where the river meets the sea. NERRA’s members include representatives from the national network of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves that represent distinct coastal estuarine ecosystems located on each of America’s coasts.

Save The Bay was founded in 1970 and is a community of people who are committed to protecting and restoring the Narragansett Bay region. Through education and action, it serves as a critical voice for the Bay and its future vitality. Save The Bay has 7,500 active members and more than 2,100 volunteers.

The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was designated in 1980 and is a partnership program between the state of Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Reserve encompasses 4,453 acres of terrestrial and submerged land on Prudence, Patience, Hope, and Dyer Islands. The program works to preserve, protect, and restore the coastal and estuarine ecosystems of Narragansett Bay through long-term research, education, training, and stewardship.

Founded in 1995, Restore America’s Estuaries is the leader of a national alliance of 11 regional, coastal conservation organizations with more than 250,000 volunteer-members dedicated to preserving our nation’s estuaries. RAE members include: American Littoral Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Conservation Law Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, EarthCorps, Galveston Bay Foundation, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Save The Bay-Narragansett Bay, Save The Bay-San Francisco, Save the Sound, a program of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and Tampa Bay Watch.

The Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible stewardship and a common vision for the preservation and restoration of our nation's bays and estuaries. Established in 1987 by amendments to the Clean Water Act to "identify, restore, and protect nationally significant estuaries of the United States," ANEP works with the 28 National Estuary Programs to coordinate the national agenda and to achieve support and communication among them.