PURPOSES.

SEC. 102. PURPOSES. The purposes of this title are— (1) to promote the restoration of estuary habitat; (2) to develop a national estuary habitat restoration strategy for creating and maintaining effective estuary habitat restoration partnerships among public agencies at all levels of government and to establish new partnerships between the public and private sectors; (3) to provide Federal assistance for estuary habitat restoration projects and to promote efficient financing of such projects; and (4) to develop and enhance monitoring and research capabilities through the use of the environmental technology innovation program associated with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System established by section 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1461) to ensure that estuary habitat restoration efforts are based on sound scientific understanding and innovative technologies.