ABSTRACT
The goal of USEPA’s ecosystem protection program is to improve the Agency’s overall ability to protect, maintain, and restore the ecological integrity of the nation’s lands and waters by moving toward a place-driven or more site-specific focus. This goal represents a refocusing of the Agency’s effort to improve and protect environmental quality in a more holistic manner. By moving toward a place-driven approach, the Agency can develop the paradigm necessary to address ecological, economic, and social needs indigenous to the particular geography or ecosystem. This new integrated ecosystem management will restore and maintain the health, sustainability, and biological diversity of ecosystems while supporting sustainable economies and communities.
