The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program lays out the definition of an estuary, why they are important, and what the Barataria-Terrebonne estuary encompasses (the area between th Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in south Louisiana). They are charged with designing and implementing a comprehensive resource management plan in the estuary.
Values: They believe that estuary systems combine physical and biological factors to produce an ecosystem unrivaled in productivity and commerce. They call estuaries the "cradles of civilization" and want to be good stewards of them while still caring for the economic and cultural issues of the region.
Roles: The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program's challenge is to move forward as good stewards of the natural resources that remain within the estuary complex. Their management plan was developed under democratic process through a conference with public agreement.
Norms: They want to gain further understanding of the some of the following components of an estuary:
Sediment, Habitats, Cultural aspects, Water quality, Species populations and changes, and economic factors. They aim to do this through their comprehensive management plan with coordinated planning and implementation of projects, ecological management, sustained recognition and citizen recognition. They seem to use a lot of field trips for hands on education and awareness building.