Ecosystem Enhancement Program

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.