CONTACT:
Cory Riley, (603) 868-1095
Kelle Loughlin, (603) 778-7398
January 31, 2020
Durham, NH – The public is invited to provide input on the management plan of the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, as managed by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, at a public meeting to be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24, 2020, at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center, 91 Depot Road, Greenland, NH.
Great Bay was designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) site in 1989, making it the 18th estuary in the United States to join the system. As a federal/state partnership, reserves are committed to the long-term research, education, and stewardship of valuable estuarine resources. The Great Bay Research Reserve operates under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the authority of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). The Great Bay NERR is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. It is required by the CZMA that every Reserve around the country develop or update a management plan every five years. A draft of the updated plan is available for public review and comment at: https://www.greatbay.org/great-bay-draft-management-plan:-public-comment-period.
Written comments about the Great Bay Research Reserve and its management plan are encouraged, and participation at the public meeting is not required for submission. Written comments should be sent no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2020, to Adrianne Harrison, Office for Coastal Management, 35 Colovos Rd., Suite 148, Durham, NH 03842 or via email to Adrianne.Harrison@noaa.gov.
The opportunity for public comment is required by the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, as part of the ongoing federal performance evaluation of the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.