Goals
The New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary is the biggest public resource in the nation’s largest and most densely developed metropolitan area. The Estuary’s tidal flux and the nutrients that it carries help support 15 square miles of tidal wetlands, some of the most biologically productive habitat on the planet. The Estuary is home to around 230 fish and over 350 bird species, has more than 1,100 waterfront parks and public spaces with over 520 miles of shoreline accessible to the public, and supports over 240,000 people who work at jobs directly associated with port and maritime operations.
Ensuring the health of the Estuary and realizing its many benefits is a shared responsibility. Decisions by five core federal agencies; two states; 11 major sewerage agencies; hundreds of counties, cities, and towns; and millions of property owners shape the Estuary’s future. Maritime, tourism, and other businesses; energy utilities; university scientists and other technical experts; and several hundred civic and community-based organizations are all critical players as well.
HEP brings these partners together to work collaboratively to develop and implement an Action Agenda that advances progress towards five long-term goals. Click on the goals below to learn more.
HEP's Partners and Scope
HEP’s unique role of convening partners, producing and disseminating science and data, and advancing better management across many jurisdictional boundaries and interests is supported by core funding provided by the Clean Water Act and directed by a guiding Policy Committee, including the Regional Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Commander of the New York District of the United State Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Commissioners of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) as well as other public and private stakeholders.
HEP takes a watershed approach to address its management goals and the geographic scope of the Program extends to the watersheds of the rivers that drain to the harbor, notably the Hudson, Raritan, Passaic and Hackensack. Because of common challenges and opportunities, HEP is focused on the tidal waters of the Estuary south of the Mario Cuomo (Tappan Zee) Bridge.
HEP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs established by Section 320 of the Clean Water Act and a partner in the Association of National Estuary Programs.
HEP’s 2017 – 2025 Action Agenda and 2025 – 2035 Update
The 2025-2035 Action Agenda outlines the shared priorities of the NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) and reaffirms the commitment of HEP and its partners to address them over the next decade. Centered around five long-term goals (Water Quality, Habitat and Ecological Health, Public Access and Stewardship, Port and Maritime, and Community Engagement), it proposes 19 specific objectives and 41 collective actions designed to strengthen the health, resilience, and accessibility of our shared waters and watersheds.
The Action Agenda draws on trends for 27 indicators of estuarine health reflected in our interactive monitoring map and our 2025 State of the Estuary—compiled from 25 years of monitoring and research. The actions were developed by HEP staff with input from our Management Committee and Citizens Advisory Committee as well as technical work groups focused on Water Quality, Restoration, Public Access, and Education. These priorities also reflect the voices of participants at 16 community-based meetings organized by HEP and local stewardship organizations, our 2023 and 2024 Annual Conferences, and public and agency comments to our November 2024 draft.
HEP Watershed Scope
The geographic scope of HEP extends to the watersheds of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. The Harbor Estuary is distinguished from the rest of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary by its saline waters and urban character.
Scroll down to learn more about HEP’s working committees, annual conferences, and Urban Waters Partnerships.
