In 1993 more than 100 representatives from federal and state agencies, local governments, environmental groups, business and industry, academia, and the public, came together to agree upon a plan for restoring and protecting the estuary. That document—the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan—governs how we address the challenges facing the Estuary today, and an implementation committee made up of 35 to 40 of those representatives coordinates activities, sets priorities, develops work plans and budgets, and convenes working groups and subcommittees as needed.
In 2007 the CCMP was revised, adding some new action items, such as the need to address sea level rise, while retaining many of the original plan's actions. Participants updating the plan decided upon priority actions to address new and continuing challenges for the Estuary. Download the Revised CCMP here.
The Estuary Partnership today includes 80 member agencies, non-profits, cities and counties, and businesses, working together to improve the health of the Estuary. To See a List of our partners, click here.
The CCMP set forth this vision for the Estuary: "We, the people of California and the San Francisco Bay-Delta region, believe the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary is an international treasure and that our ongoing stewardship is critical to its preservation, restoration, and enhancement. Acknowledging the importance of the Estuary to our environmental and economic well-being, we pledge to achieve and maintain an ecologically diverse and productive natural estuarine system."
- Restore and protect a diverse, balanced, and healthy population of fish, invertebrates, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, focusing on indigenous species.
- Assure that the beneficial uses of the Bay and Delta are protected.
- Improve water quality, where possible, by eliminating and preventing pollution at its source, while minimizing the discharge of pollutants from point and nonpoint sources and remediating existing pollution.
- Manage dredging and waterway modifications to minimize adverse environmental impacts.
- Effectively manage and coordinate land and water use to achieve the goals of the Estuary Project (now Partnership).
- Increase public knowledge about the Estuary ecosystem and public involvement in the restoration and protection of the health of the Estuary.
- Increase our scientific understanding of the Estuary and use that knowledge to better manage the Estuary.
- Develop and expand non-regulatory programs, such as public-private partnerships and market incentives, in conjunction with regulatory programs, to achieve the goals of the Project (now Partnership).
- Preserve and restore wetlands to provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality, and protect against flooding.
- Assure an adequate freshwater flow as one of the essential components to restore and maintain a clean, healthy, and diverse Estuary.
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