Background

The comprehensive plan of action for Bay protection and management, known as the Bay Restoration Plan (Plan) was approved by Governor Pete Wilson in December 1994 and by US EPA Administrator Carol Browner in 1995. The 1995 Plan identified almost 250 actions, including 74 priority actions, that address critical problems such as storm water and urban runoff pollution, habitat loss and degradation, and public health risks associated with seafood consumption and swimming near storm drain outlets. The Plan outlined specific programs to address the environmental problems facing the Bay and identified implementers, timelines, and funding needs.

In 2008, a comprehensive update to the Bay Restoration Plan (2008 BRP) was developed in order to acknowledge the many completed actions and areas of substantial progress within the 1995 Plan. More importantly, the update addresses remaining roadblocks and challenges as well as newly emerging issues. The 2008 BRP lays out the strategies and partners for advancing Bay and watershed restoration over the next 5 years, approximately. The 2008 BRP consists of 14 goals, 67 objectives, and 170 milestones to fulfill SMBRC's mission to "improve water quality, conserve and rehabilitate natural resources, and protect the Bay's benefits and values."

Implementation of the BRP is the focus of our current efforts. Securing and leveraging funding to put solutions into action, building public-private partnerships, promoting cutting-edge research and technology, facilitating a stakeholder-driven consensus process, and raising public awareness in order to restore and preserve the Bay's many beneficial uses are key objectives of the SMBRC.

Already, restoration actions have resulted in improvements in the quality of the Bay's environment, but full recovery is far from certain. Steady and long-term effort along with consistent funding for action implementation is necessary to ensure that we realize the BRP's goal of a healthy and restored Santa Monica Bay.

Download Our Current BRP

The Bay Restoration Plan - Executive Summary

The Bay Restoration Plan (the entire document)