Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation

The Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) provides much-needed federal funds for the purchase and protection of sensitive coastal ecosystems with the goal of better ensuring the ecological and economic health of our coastal communities. Intense development pressures within the coastal zone are driving the need to provide coastal managers with a wider range of tools to protect and conserve important coastal and estuarine areas. Protection of critical coastal and estuarine areas provides numerous public benefits, such as improving water quality, increasing access to shoreline areas, conserving wildlife habitat, and sustaining recreational and commercial fisheries.

Acquiring and protecting land along the nation's estuaries and coastline is a high priority for NERRA. In a recent survey NERRA has conducted, nearly all of the National Estuarine Research Reserves indicated the need for additional land protection and have identified 85 project areas and nearly 475,000 priority acres for protection. Acquisition funds for the NERRS have traditionally been available through the NOAA funding process to a reserve, but CELCP provides an additional opportunity to help meet the acquisition needs of the NERRS, particularly those needs within the broader watersheds of a reserve.

One of NERRA's priorities is the authorization of CELCP through legislation. To learn more, please read our policy statement and testimony on CELCP legislation.

NERRA CECLP Policy

NERRA 2006 Testimony on CELCP Legislation