To: Portsmouth, NH, Dover, NH, Rochester, NH, Exeter, NH, and Newmarket, NH
Rescue Great Bay
We, the undersigned, believe that clean water and a healthy Great Bay estuary are essential to the quality of life in New Hampshire’s Seacoast region and southern Maine.
We also recognize that the health of the Great Bay estuary is in decline as a result of water pollution from sewage treatment plants and stormwater runoff.
We understand that public investments will be necessary to clean up the Great Bay estuary and keep it healthy now and for future generations, and we support prompt action to reduce water pollution in accordance with the full protections of the Clean Water Act, including the most stringent limits on nitrogen – the pollutant of greatest concern – from NH and Maine sewage treatment plants affecting the estuary.
Why is this important?
Population growth, sprawl, and outdated water infrastructure are all contributing to the decline of the Great Bay estuary, pushing it towards a tipping point. Nitrogen pollution levels have increased dramatically, leading to the loss of eelgrass – a critical habitat for fish and other marine species- within the estuary.
The mission of Rescue Great Bay is to work together to advance and foster public support for meaningful and immediate regulatory actions and sound management of the Great Bay estuary and associated marine resources consistent with the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws.