In Maryland, NOAA partners with the Oyster Recovery Partnership , a coalition of organizations, institutions, businesses and individuals dedicated to restoring the oyster population in the upper part of the Bay. The Partnership, an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1994 by Chesapeake Appreciation Inc. and has received funding support from NOAA for their research and restoration work. The Partnership originated to accomplish the goals incorporated in the 1993 Maryland Oyster Roundtable Action Plan.