Not all buffers are created equal.

Their effectiveness depends on their characteristics and the surrounding landscape. Different buffer widths are necessary to achieve different outcomes.
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Did you know?

You may have buffers on your land and not be aware of it. Find out where to protect and restore buffers in your town.

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How do we value buffers?

Great Bay communities may be willing to pay between $1.5 to 2.8 million annually for improved water quality.
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How to protect buffers

Understand your community’s legal rights to establish ordinances that protect buffers.
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Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure (like buffers) is a good deal. It’s also less expensive than grey infrastructure like pipes and sewers.
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Who regulates buffers?

Navigating buffer regulations in New Hampshire.
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Buffer Basics

What is a buffer?

 People apply the term buffer to landscapes with different characteristics, ranging from naturally vegetated areas to those where mowing is allowed.
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What do buffers do?

Healthy, intact buffers help keep our waters clean and our basements dry, offer a home for wildlife,  and protect oyster beds and eelgrass.
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How well do they work?

A buffer’s effectiveness depends on its characteristics—and the surrounding landscape adjacent to the buffer and in the larger watershed.
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How to Manage Buffers

Working with Communities

How do you start a conversation about buffers? Where are the important buffers? What are the options for protecting them?

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Working with Landowners

What can you do in a buffer?
How do you protect buffers?
What will it cost? What are the incentives? How do you restore a buffer?

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Navigating Regulations

Who regulates buffers?
What's protected? What's not?
Why protect smaller streams & wetlands?  Should all buffers be the same size?

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MAPS

Water Quality, Co-Occurrence, Wildlife Action Plan and Flooding
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About Buffers Options for the Bay

The Buffer Options for the Bay (BOB)​ ​project is dedicated to​ ​advancing  understanding​ ​of buffer​ value​ ​and​ ​refining​ ​policy​ ​to​ ​support​ ​the more effective​ ​use​ ​of​ ​buffers​ ​as​ ​​land management​ ​tool​s ​in​ ​the​ ​Great​ ​Bay​ Estuary ​watershed.​

Learn more about our project >