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Wetlands are one of t he most valuable and fragil e component s of a watershed, but for many years they were fi l led and drained 

for agriculture and development . N ow we are learning that 

wetl ands are crucial t o the health of our waters and 

wil dli fe. Wetl and restorat ion, the renewal of natural and 

histori cal wet lands that have been l ost or degraded, is a 

growing activi ty. It can improve water qualit y and 

wil dli fe habitat across the nation.

states have been lost to agriculture 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 atershed restoratio n

at EPA’s w eb site at ww w.epa.gov/ow ow /

wetlands/restore.

Community-based WetlandRestorationEPA is wor king wit h its partners on community

based w etland restoration projects in 500

watersheds across the nat ion . EPA’s Five-Star

Restoration Program (w ww.epa.gov/ow ow /

wetlands/restore/5star), provides wetlands

challenge grants, facilitates technology/information

transfer and partnership collaborat ion, and

supports peer-to-peer communication programs.

If you w ant to restore a w etland on your

property or in your community, many different

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.

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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

Street, Utica, NY 13501. Phone: (315) 797-7364; fax: (315) 792-1983; e-mail: JFurman835@aol.com.

The Wet land Fact Sheet Ser ies 

Wetlands Overview Funding Wetland Projects

Types of Wetlands Wetland Monitoring & Assessment

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 Wetlands Co nservation Alliance ............. .............. .............. ............... .............. .............. ........... users.ero ls.com/w etlan dg

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.