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How to Plan A Five Star Project Starting a restoration project may seem like an overwhelming task. It’s hard to pick the best jumping off point. In order to ease this process and help make your project a success, WHC has put together the following list of suggestions:
Talk to a professional. If you aren’t trained in restoration work, get a partner who is! Local environmental consulting firms, government organizations, and other groups can offer your project their experience and advice. You want to build an environmentally and technically sound project. Even the simplest plans depend on stable practices, which makes your commitment stronger and more easily managed in when completed. Create a corporate partnership. Raising enough money to complete the project is an important step. Local corporations are usually eager to get involved with community projects. Research different companies and check out their guidelines on charitable contributions and foundation grants. See if your project appeals to the employees and encourage them to volunteer. Get the community involved. Match up with local schools and community groups. Get connected to the community before you apply, so you can be sure to rely on their help. There are always youth groups, service organizations or nearby schools that are in need of community service projects and unique methods for educating young people. What may seem like a lot of work can easily turn into a fun educational tool! Many projects have also included outreach to local landowners and landowner associations. It is important to have a set plan for education outlined in your application. Find out what your community can use. There are a lot of possibilities in each conservation or restoration project area. Take advantage of the opportunities by reading local newspapers and talking to area organizations. You’ll get feedback and find motivated partners for your Five-Star project. Principles for the Ecological Watershed Ecology Team, U.S. EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds Restoration. The return of a degraded ecosystem to a close approximation of its remaining natural potential - is experiencing a groundswell of support across the United States. The number of stream, river, lake, wetland and estuary restoration projects grows yearly. Current Federal initiatives call for a wide range of restoration actions, including improving or restoring 25,000 miles of stream corridor; achieving a net increase of 100,000 acres of wetlands each year; and establishing two million miles of conservation buffers. Many on-going or completed restoration projects now offer valuable lessons. To help build on these lessons and promote effective restoration, the Watershed Ecology Team of the ffice of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds has assembled a list of principles that have been critical to the success of a wide range of aquatic resource restoration projects. These principles apply to different stages in the life of a restoration project - from early planning to post-implementation monitoring - and are offered for use by a wide variety of people and organizations, ranging from Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies to outdoor recreation or conservation groups, corporations, landowners, and citizens' groups. The principles focus on scientific and technical issues, but as in all environmental management activities, the importance of community perspectives and values should not be overlooked. The presence or absence of public support for a restoration project can be the difference between positive results and failure. Coordination with the people and organizations that may be affected by the project can help build the support needed to get the project moving and ensure long-term protection of the restored area. In addition, partnership with stakeholders can also add useful resources, ranging from money and technical expertise to volunteer help with implementation and monitoring. |
