Congress moves to invest in the Nation’s estuaries Portsmouth Herald DURHAM — Congress reaffirmed its support and strong commitment to the National Estuary Program; a time tested, non-regulatory program that enables communities to protect and restore the bays and estuaries they call home. Here in coastal New Hampshire and southern Maine, The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is one of 28 programs designated under the National Estuary Program as having “estuaries of national significance” that will benefit directly from legislation approved by Congress. The Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act, with strong bipartisan support and unanimous approval from the US Senate, was signed into law on January 13, 2021 and supported by New Hampshire Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and Representative Pappas, and Maine Senators Collins and King, and Representative Pingree. The Act reaffirms support for the work of the National Estuary Program, and nearly doubles the annual funding limit from $27 million to $50 million.