The Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program (SMBNEP) is one of 28 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Estuary Programs established by Congress in 1987 under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act, designed to restore and protect local coastal waters.

The SMBNEP consists of two distinct entities: the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (a non-regulatory Management Conference) and The Bay Foundation (the non-profit Host Entity). As the Host Entity for SMBNEP, The Bay Foundation (TBF) is proud to receive funding from the U.S. EPA’s National Estuary Program through an annual federal grant under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1330). This funding supports implementing SMBNEP’s long-term action plan, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, in collaboration with municipalities and other partners. Additionally, TBF secures essential grants and donations from a variety of sources to further advance its efforts in implementing SMBNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. 

In fiscal year 2022, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) included $132 million designated for the 28 National Estuary Programs to support the implementation of Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs). This amounts to $4.5 million for SMBNEP spanning fiscal years 2022 – 2026. Learn more about SMBNEP’s BIL work plan and aligned updates in its Plans & Reports (BIL) and on TBF’s project pages.