In 1990, Casco Bay was designated an "estuary of national significance" under the US EPA's National Estuary Program, established in 1987 to protect nationally significant estuaries threatened by pollution, development or overuse.  As a result of this designation, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (CBEP) was formed and charged with initiating a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Casco Bay, the Casco Bay Plan, completed in 1996.

The Casco Bay Plan was developed through an intensive local stakeholder process and set forth 33 recommended action items in five topic areas to guide CBEP's work.  These five topic areas are:

    Protecting and retoring fish and wildlife habitats;
     Decreating pollution from stormwater and combined sewer overflows;
    Improving water quality  to restore and sustain open clam flats and protect swimming beaches;
    Reducing toxic pollution; and
    Promoting informed and responsible stewardship

Implementation of the Casco Bay Plan has resulted in a remarkable amount of progress toward restoration and protection of Casco Bay.  However, new priorities and threats to the Bay, such as marine invasive species and low impact development, have emerged since the original plan development.  To address these issues, CBEP updated the Casco Bay Plan in 2006, enabling CBEP to incorporate advances, in science and technology and to acknowledge changes in programs, political climates, regulatory frameworks, and partnerships.

Below are liks to both the 1996 Caco Bay Plan and 2006 Caco Bay Plan Update as well as a sumary of progress on implementation of the Plan(s).

2008 Summary of Casco Bay Plan Implementation Progress