Clean
water, clean air and thriving natural habitats are fundamental
indicators of a healthy environment. Protecting North Carolina's
ecosystems is critical to maintaining the state's quality of life,
continuing its economic growth, and ensuring the health and well-being
of its citizens.
According
to the three-party Memorandum of Agreement that established the
initiative's procedures in July 2003, the mission of the Ecosystem
Enhancement Program is to "restore, enhance, preserve and protect the
functions associated with wetlands, streams and riparian areas,
including but not limited to those necessary for the restoration,
maintenance and protection of water quality and riparian habitats
throughout North Carolina."
EEP provides:
· High-quality, cost-effective projects for watershed improvement and protection;
· Compensation for unavoidable environmental impacts associated with transportation-infrastructure and economic development; and
· Detailed watershed-planning and project-implementation efforts within North Carolina's threatened or degraded watersheds.
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