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Coastal Ecosystem Restoration
The Community is a Strong Partner A variety of approaches to community involvement can be used that are beneficial and often critical to the success of individual projects as well as to long-term public support of coastal habitat restoration. For example, outreach efforts can include festivals and special events, media coverage, public briefing meetings, and organized project campaigns. Education and involvement opportunities can include technical workshops, volunteer participation, and public meetings to educate the community and to solicit public opinion. Various sectors of the public can be included in unique and beneficial ways. School groups can often provide volunteers for planting and monitoring while learning the value of coastal habitat. Senior groups and community center and organizational members can serve as spokespersons, communicating the community benefits of the projects, and organizing outreach and educational campaigns. By incorporating a range of approaches and various sectors of the community during all phases of the restoration project, sustainable public support can be a key factor in the success of the project as illustrated in the examples discussed below. Inform and Involve the Community during the Planning Phase Increasing pubic awareness of the benefits of the restoration project and involving the community as a partner during the planning phase increases the likelihood that the project will have greater public acceptance and long-term support. Obtaining community input to critical planning decisions such as site selection helps to ensure that the restoration project is not only of environmental significance, but also a benefit to the community. Moreover, by gaining public support early in the planning stages of the project, it is often easier to stimulate the much-needed voluntary participation during the implementation and monitoring phases of the project. However, in addition to the short-term benefits gained through volunteer participation and project specific support, increasing public awareness through education and outreach programs results in the long-term benefit of increasing stewardship for coastal habitats in general.
In urban settings, where conflicting land-use needs often make restoration controversial, involving the public from the start may be essential to the successful outcome of a project. In highly urban Commencement Bay, Washington, the Mowitch Restoration Project organizers understood the necessity of increasing public awareness and involving the community in the planning stages of the project. For example, a local Indian tribe was included in the restoration site name selection and the public was included in the restoration site selection process. Also, project organizers conduct quarterly briefing meetings to inform the public and to obtain pubic input on the restoration plan, objectives, and progress. At one meeting attendees were asked to draw their own conceptual plan for the site for project consideration. This early public involvement has resulted in increased community participation for restoration planting and for site clean up and garbage collection (Figure 1). (Additional information is available online: http://www.darcnw.noaa.gov). The Southern California Regional Kelp Restoration Project managers regularly offer presentations to dive clubs, community centers, and scientific meetings to tout the benefits of the project and the project progress. Media outreach beginning in the early stages of the project has resulted in coverage in newspapers, dive magazines, and local television. Project organizers sponsor an annual Kelp Fest to increase public awareness of the importance of kelp forest ecosystems. Through these programs, designed to increase public awareness and gain support, the project has recruited volunteer divers to assist in restoring, maintaining, and monitoring the restoration sites. The volunteer dive teams have become an essential component of kelp restoration efforts. (Additional information is available online: http://www.cacoastkeeper.org/cacoast/). Public support is just as important in large scale restoration efforts. However, addressing the many uses of various sector and community needs and gaining public acceptance becomes much more difficult for projects that spread over large geographic areas. For example the restoration program planners and managers undertook a large public involvement task under the CWPRA (Coastal Wetland Protection and Restoration Act). Louisiana's coastal wetlands face of a rate of loss from 25-35 square miles each year. As a result, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (referred to as the Breaux Act) was passed in 1990 and authorized. Seen as a key partner in the success of the multi-project restoration program, program planners began to seek substantial ways to inform and include the public early in the planning phase of the program. The Breaux Act Task Force created an Outreach Committee of Federal and Louisiana State officials along with the Barataria-Terrebone National Estuary Program, Louisiana State University-Cooperative Extension Service, Governor's Office of Coastal Activities, the Gulf of Mexico Program and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and worked with various sectors of public such as, landowners, environmentalists, wetland scientists, and others to develop a strategic restoration plan: Coast 2050. The planning process was designed to maximize collaboration and seek consensus. Sixty-five public meetings, were conducted, during which technically sound plans and solutions were developed that would achieve restoration ecosystem needs, and met with public acceptance support. Coast 2050 is now the framework of the coastal restoration effort in Louisiana. It is a collaborative effort that addresses multiple stakeholder views and coastal uses and is supported at federal, state, and local levels and has a high rate of public support. (Additional information is available online: http://www.coast2050.gov/). Increase Community Involvement during Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Maintenance
Restoration projects provide unique opportunities to educate the community about the benefits of coastal habitat restoration and about the value of healthy coastal habit. Educational programs can be designed to teach community members about basic and general topics relevant to coastal habitat, or more often are designed to teach, not only the understanding of habitat ecosystem processes, but also the skills to assist project organizers in restoration implementation and monitoring. In addition to increasing implementation support, these programs educate a new group of responsible environmental stewards. One opportunity to launch educational programs is to partner with the area schools. For example, Save the Bay of San Francisco provides classroom visits and field programs for middle and high school classes through a program known as Canoes in Sloughs (Figure 1). Canoes in Sloughs is an innovative program designed for students from 6th to 12th grade. Accompanied by staff members, students explore the estuary ecosystem up close and learn about the value of bays. Students learn how to use water quality kits, dip nets, maps, and field guides. Through this experience, they gain self-confidence and enthusiasm for science and ecology and the project benefits from the data and information that they collect. Save The Bay also helps school teachers learn about the San Francisco Bay-Delta through the Canoes in Sloughs Teacher Training, so that they can develop a watershed curriculum for their students (additional information available online: http://www.savesfbay.org/teaching.html). Save the Bay has developed and implemented follow-on programs to Canoes and Sloughs that involve students in removing non-native plants from restoration sites as well as raising and planting native plants. Some student groups have also participated in an "adopt-a-restoration-site" type project where students learn about the sensitive ecosystem and then assist in the site's restoration implementation. In another example, The Bay Grasses in Classes program sponsored by TampaBay Watch and other coastal groups uses local middle and high schools for a wetland nursery program whereby students learn to maintain the wetland plants to be used in restoration projects. By educating and involving the student community, Tampa BayWatch teaches the value of a healthy environment and creates an opportunity for hands-on involvement, and in return receives the benefit of enthusiastic and energetic volunteers (Figure 2). Currently there are 15 schools involved in the program (additional information available online: http://www.tampabaywatch.org/). In Chesapeake Bay, a similar program has gained considerable support since its inception in 1998. There are currently 150 schools throughout Maryland who participate in the program, which is coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (additional information available online: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/sav/bgic/bgic_info.html) Hands-on restoration activities, such as native plant propagation, transplanting, site mapping, and monitoring that use citizen volunteers can stretch project funding dollars. Therefore funding training and involvement programs can have a significant return on investment. For example, The South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE) program uses volunteers to restore oyster habitat by assisting in oyster shell recycling, building new reefs with recycled shells, and monitoring restoration success (Figure 3). To date nearly 7000 volunteer hours have been donated (additional information available online: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/scoysters/html/restore.htm). The Chesapeake Bay Foundation developed a Grasses for the Masses program to help restore Chesapeake Bay's underwater grasses. Volunteers receive the necessary equipment and training to grow native underwater grasses from seed in their homes. Following the 12-week growing period, the volunteers then transplant the grasses at predetermined sites (Figure 4) (additional information available online: http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=action_outdoors_grasses
"Marsh Bash 1999" (now an annual event known as Marsh Mania) began with the purpose of involving citizens in the restoration of wetland habitat during a weekend event, at multiple locations around Galveston Bay (Figure 5). A total of 1500 volunteers participated in this innovative event and planted 14.5 acres of habitat in 2.5 hours (additional information available online: http://www.galvbay.org/7-0.cfm#whatcan; http://galveston.ssp.nmfs.gov/galv/community/Marsh/marsh_bash_1999.htm). Volunteers can also be used effectively for long-term monitoring and maintenance. Through their Sound Stewardship Program, People for Puget Sound trains community stewards to identify native and invasive plant species and track their growth at restored sites to determine how successful restoration sites are functioning as habitat for native species (additional information available online: http://www.pugetsound.org/vshrmp/index.html). It is clear that the community can provide strong partnership opportunities. However, the task of gaining public acceptance and willingness to participate is more effective if community involvement and education are incorporated early in the project planning phase and fostered throughout the life of the project. The key to action and results is to provide opportunities for all community members to become educated about benefits and goals of restoration projects, and about ways in which they can become involved. Additional information is available in: Borde, A.B., and others. 2003. National Review of Successful and Innovative Restoration Projects. Prepared for: NOAA Coastal Services Center, by Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory. Sequim, WA. |
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Updated on July 24, 2007