The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) is one of the 28 National Estuary Programs. APNEP is a cooperative effort jointly hosted by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Partnership also works closely with the Commonwealth of Virginia in implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). APNEP's mission is to identify, protect, and restore the significant resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. APNEP pursues this mission with guidance and support from its overarching CCMP, advisory bodies and regional partners. The program area extends across most of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, including the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Pasquotank, Chowan, lower Roanoke, and parts of the White Oak River basins in North Carolina and Southeastern Virgina.