The creation of the restoration support activity occurred in 2003 and was spurred by the realization of the need to better balance the U.S. Department of the Interior's (Department) Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (Restoration Program) between conducting damage assessments and implementing restorations.  As a result of achieving many successful settlements in recent years, the Restoration Program recognized the need to provide a broader and more substantive institutional emphasis on accomplishing restoration in a timely fashion whenever possible.  This need goes beyond simply planning and implementing restoration on a case-by-case manner, as had been the practice.

During settlement negotiations or after a settlement is reached, a restoration plan is developed.  These plans specify the necessary actions to restore the injured resources.
These actions can be carried out on the lands where the injury occurred or, if appropriate, at an alternate site that, when restored, provides a suitable replacement for the injured or lost resources.

Trustees (states, Indian Tribes, other Federal agencies, or foreign governments) can undertake these projects directly.  Potentially responsible parties can also undertake these actions under the supervision of the trustees.

The trustees monitor the restoration projects to assure that they continue to be properly operated and to determine whether the efforts are successful over the long run in restoring the injured resources.


Examples of Restoration Projects
Lower Fox River/Green Bay, Wisconsin - The restoration of the Lower Fox River/Green Bay ecosystem is a success story of consultation, cooperation, and communication, all in the service of conservation within trustee community and with all the various partners ranging from environmental groups to local municipalities to the potential responsible parties.  We continue to work with our co-trustees—the States of Wisconsin and Michigan, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin—to resolve the significant remaining claims and implement the co-trustees’ natural resource restoration plan published in 2003.  Refer to this site for points of contact, history, partners, and reports for this project.

Jordan River, Utah - The opportunity to restore 274 acres of riparian habitat on the Jordan River is fast becoming a reality.  Using damage assessment settlement funds obtained from two superfund sites located on the Jordan River, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is entering into cooperative agreements with three separate parties to restore riparian habitats.  Restoration of these lands includes the removal of invasive exotic plants, establishment of native plants, and recontouring the banks of the Jordan River to restore the floodplain.  Refer to this site for points of contact, history, partners, and what you can do to help.

For more information on these restoration projects, as well as for all other Restoration Program restoration projects, please refer to the "Program Site Maps" page, which can be found via the link in the Library to the right of this page.

Further information regarding the Restoration Program's restoration projects success stories is located on the "Success Stories and Samples" page, which can be found via the link in the Library to the right of this page.