We t lan ds are one of t he mos t valuable and fr ag ile compon e nt s ofa watershed, but for man y yea rs t hey w e re fi l led and drain e dfor ag ri cult ure and deve lopm e nt . N ow w e a re learning that we tl ands are crucial t o the he alt h of our w aters andwildlife. We tl and re s toration, the re newal of natural andhistori ca l w e t land s that have be e n l os t or de g rade d, i s agrow ing activi ty. It ca n im prove wate r qualit y andwildli fe ha bit at acros s the nation. states have bee n lost to agricult ure and develop- ment. M any of the wetlands that remain today continue to be degraded. Such losses and damage hamper wetland functions, such as w ater quality protection, habitat for fish and other wildlife, and floo d prevention. Read more about wetland and w atershe d restoration at EPA ’s w eb site at ww w.epa.gov/owow/ w etlan ds/ restore. Community-based Wetland Restoration EPA is wor king wit h its partners on community- based w etland res toration proj ects in 500 w atersheds across the n at ion . EPA ’s Five-Star Res toration Program ( w ww.epa.gov/ ow ow/ w etla nd s/restore/ 5star), provides w etlands challenge gran ts, fa cilitates tec hnology/ information trans fer and par tnership co llaborat ion, and supports peer- to - peer communicatio n progr ams. If you w ant to restore a w etland on your property or in your community, many different organizatio ns and agencies can help. Many land-own ers are eligible to enroll in federal programs that provid e res tora tion expertise and fund ing, such as the USDA’s C onservatio n Reserve Program or the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fis h and Wildlife Program. If your project doesn’t qualify f or such a progra m or it is a community project involving many different stakeholders, you might w ant to hire a profes sional to d raft a plan and put to gether a team to do t he wo rk. Y ou can obta in more information thro ugh the web si tes and resources lis ted o n the reverse. United States Office of Water EP A 843-F-01-002e Environmental Protection Office of Wetlands, September 2001 Agency Oceans and Watersheds (4502T) Wetlandrestoration involves renewing natur al and historical w e t lands t hat ha ve be enl ost or degraded. What Is Restoration? R estoration is the return of a degrad ed wet- land or f ormer wetland to its pree xisting naturally functioning c ondition, o r a condition as close to tha t a s possible. It is a complex process tha t req uires expertise, resources , and commitment from many different stakeholders. Ideally , a successfully res tored w etland w ill mimic the functions of a healthy nat ural wetland. A ll restora tio n projects require planning, implementation, monitoring, and management. Ma ny projects require a team w ith expertise in ecology, hydrology, engineering, and environmenta l planning . G etting l ocal experts and the community involved gives the pro ject local ownership, which is important for restoration suc ces s. Why Restore Wetlands? Restoring our lost and degraded w etlands to their natural state is essential to ensure the health o f America’s w atersheds. Unles s w e reverse the tide of w etland loss, the quality o f our w aters will con- tinue to be threatened and a part of our natural heritage w ill be lost. The quality o f America’s waters is close ly linked to the integrity of America’s w etlands. Over the past 200 years, w etlands have vanis hed at an alarming rate. M ore than half of our nation’s original natural wet- lands in the contiguous T h rou gh it s F iv e -St ar Res t or at io n Pro gr am , E P A is working with multiple partners to reach a goal of 500 community-based wetland restoration projects across the nation.
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organizatio ns and agencies can help. Ma nyland-own ers are eligible to enroll in federal
programs that provide restora tion expertise and
fund ing, such as the USDA’s C onservatio n
Reserve Program or the Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife
Program. If your project doesn’t qualify f or such
a progra m or it is a community project
involving many different stakeholders, you
might w ant to hire a professional to d raft a plan
and put to gether a team to do t he wo rk. You can
obta in more information thro ugh the web sites
and resources listed o n the reverse.
United States Office of Water EPA 843-F-01-0Environmental Protection Office of Wetlands, September 2Agency Oceans and Watersheds (4502T)
Wetland
restoration
involves
renewing
natural and
historical
wetlands that
have been lost or
degraded.
What Is Restoration?
Restorat ion is the return of a degraded wet-land or f ormer wetland to its preexisting
naturally functioning condition, o r a condition
as close to tha t a s possible. It is a complex
process tha t requires expertise, resources, and
commitment from many d ifferent stakeholders.
Ideally, a successfully restored w etland w ill
mimic the functions of a healthy nat ural
wetland.
All restora tio n projects require planning,
implementation, monitoring, and management.
Ma ny projects require a team w ith expertise in
ecology, hydrology, engineering, andenvironmenta l planning. G etting local experts
and the community involved gives the project
local ownership, which is important for
restorat ion success.
Why Restore Wetlands?Restoring our lost and degraded w etlands to
their natural state is essential to ensure the
health o f America’s w atersheds. Unless w e
reverse the tide of w etland loss, the quality o f
our w aters will con-
tinue to be threatened
and a part of ournatural heritage w ill be
lost. The quality o f
America’s waters is
closely linked to the
integrity of America’s
w etlands. Over the past
200 years, w etlands
have vanished at an
alarming rate. M ore
than half of our nation’s
original natural wet-
lands in the contiguous
Through its Five-Star Restoration Program, EPAis working with multiple partners to reach agoal of 500 community-based wetlandrestoration projects across the nation.
LOCAL YOUTH RESTORE NEW YORK MARSHLOCAL YOUTH RESTORE NEW YORK MARSH Youth organizations are working hard to restore and protect an urban wetland in Utica, New York. The marsh is
home to more than 190 bird species and 250 plant species. The Sustainable Utica Project, headed by Utica
Community Action, Inc. (UCAI), recently became one of eight youth corps organizations nationwide to receive a
$20,000 grant from EPA’s Five-Star Restoration Grant Program. Over the next few months, project organizers will
improve existing nature trails to make the entire trail network accessible to the public. They’ll also develop a
nature interpretation trail system for marsh visitors that will enhance public understanding of the wetland’s value.
UCAI will also remove invasive plants, trash, and other debris from the marsh to enhance its wildlife habitat
value. So far, they have removed 6 tons of garbage from the marsh. In addition to promoting conservationeducation and tourism, the project will generate economic development opportunities for the local community.
For more information, contact John Furman, Program Planner, Utica Community Action, Inc., 253 Genesee
Functions & Values of Wetlands Sustainable Communities
Threats to Wetlands Volunteering for Wetlands
Wetland Restoration Teaching about Wetlands
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands.
Am e r i c an Av o c e t
On the Internet EPA’s River Co rridor and Wetland Restora tion home page ............. ............... .............. ...... w w w.epa.gov/ow ow /w etlands/restore
USDA’s C onservation Reserve Program .............. .............. .............. .............. ............... .............. w w w.nrcs.usda .go v/programs/crp/
USDA’s Wetland Reserve Program ............. .............. ............... .............. .............. .............. ........ w w w.nrcs.usda.go v/programs/w rp/
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program .............. ............... .............. .............. ............... .............. .............. ............ partners.fws.gov
The Association of State Wetland Ma nagers ............. .............. .............. ............... .............. .............. .............. ........ w ww.a swm.org
Society for Ecological Restora tion ............. .............. ............... .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. . www.ser.org
Nat ional Marine Fisheries Service Restoration Center .............. .............. ............... ......... w w w.nmfs.no aa. gov/habita t/restoratio n
C hesapeake Bay Program. .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. ............... ....... www.chesapeakebay.net
Society of Wetland Scientists ............. .............. .............. .............. .............. .............. ............... .............. .............. ........ w ww.sws.org
Izaak Walton League of America ............ .............. .............. .............. ............. .............. .............. ................ .............. .. www.iwla.org
I n Pri nt and On Vi deo A Ci ti zen’s Gui de to Wetl and Restorati on (EPA910-R-94-006). Available fr om EPA Region 10. C all (206) 553-1200.
Wetl and Creati on and Restor ation: The Stat us of the Science , Jo n Kusler and Ma ry Kentula, 1990. Available from Island Press.
Call 1-800-828-1302.
W etl ands: An Approach t o Improving Decision-Maki ng in Wetl and Restorati on and Creation, Ma ry Kentula et al., 1992. Available from
Island Press. Call 1-800-828-1302.
Wet land Restorat ion: Steps to Success. This 21-minute video f rom The Wetland s Con servancy discusses techniq ues fo r w etland
restora tion, including using native plants and when and w here to plant. For copies, call The Wetlands Conservancy at
(503) 691-1394 or log onto their website at www.wetlandsconservancy.org.
Restor ati on, Creati on, and Recovery of Wetl ands: N ati onal Water Sum mar y on Wetl and Resources , Ma ry Kentula, 1999. United States
G eologica l Survey Water Supply Paper 2425 . Availab le on-line at w ater.usgs.gov/nw sum/WSP2425/restora tion.ht ml.