The Association of State Wetland Managers August 2017 Wetland Restoration – Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned Cover photo by Jeanne Christie, Association of State Wetland Managers 2 Wetland Restoration – Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned Wetland Restoration Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned Authors (listed by SDC approach): • Marla Stelk, Association of State Wetland Managers • Jeanne Christie, Association of State Wetland Managers • Richard Weber, P.E., USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Team • Roy R. “Robin" Lewis III, Lewis Environmental Services, Inc., & Coastal Resources Group, Inc. • Joy Zedler, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison • Mick Micacchion, Midwest Biodiversity Institute • Tom Harcarik, Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance • Lisa Cowan, PLA, StudioVerde • Norman Famous, Consultant • John Teal, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution • Peg Bostwick, Association of State Wetland Managers • Peter Skidmore, Walton Family Foundation • Bruce Pruitt, USACE Engineer Research and Development Center • Larry Urban, Montana Department of Transportation • Julie Merritt, WGM Group Suggested Citation: Stelk, M.J., Christie, J. , Weber, R., Lewis, R.R.III, Zedler, J., Micacchion, M., … Merritt, J. (2017). Wetland Restoration: Contemporary Issues and Lessons Learned. Association of State Wetland Managers, Windham, Maine. 3 Wetland Restoration – Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned ASWM WETLAND RESTORATION WORKGROUP In response to reports quantifying the shortcomings of wetland restoration over past decades, the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) created a Wetland Restoration Work Group in 2014, composed of twenty five experts, including practitioners, regulators, policy makers, scientists and academics. The Work Group was tasked with identifying the most significant barriers to wetland restoration and identifying actions to address these challenges based on lessons learned and the substantial collective expertise of the Work Group and others. To share initial findings and broaden the discussion, ASWM and the Work Group developed a monthly webinar series titled “Improving Wetland Restoration Success.” The webinars included experts from diverse fields and regions of the U.S. Each presenter was asked to list the top constraints on wetland restoration and identify solutions. The findings identified in this white paper are based on key points provided by webinar presenters, Work Group members and other outside wetland restoration experts. Each webinar was recorded and is available to download here: http://www.aswm.org/aswm/aswm- webinarscalls/6773-improving-wetland-restoration-success-project. Work Group biographies can be found in Appendix B. Members and their affiliations are listed below. • Jeanne Christie, Association of State Wetland Managers (Chair) • Marla Stelk, Association of State Wetland Managers (Facilitator) • John Bourgeois, California State Coastal Conservancy • Lisa Cowan, PLA, StudioVerde • Chris Darnell, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • Timothy Dexter, Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation • Rebecca Dils, U.S. EPA Office of Water, Wetlands Division • Norman Famous, Consultant • Mark Fonseca, Ph.D., CSA Ocean Sciences • Craig Goodwin, U.S.D.A. • Tom Harcarik, Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance • Kristen Hychka, Hh.D., University of Rhode Island • Amy Jacobs, The Nature Conservancy • Ted LaGrange, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission • Roy R. "Robin", Lewis, III, Lewis Environmental Services, Inc., & Coastal Resources Group, Inc. • Michael McDavit, U.S. EPA Office of Water, Wetlands Division • Mick Micacchion, Midwest Biodiversity Institute • Myra Price, U.S. EPA Office of Water, Wetlands Division • Bruce Pruitt, Ph.D., PH, PWS, USACE Engineer Research and Development Center • Joseph Shisler, Ph.D., ARCADIS • Peter Skidmore, Walton Family Foundation • Marcia Spencer-Famous, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry • John Teal, Ph.D., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution • James Turek, NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center • Lawrence Urban, Montana Department of Transportation • Richard Weber, P.E., USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Team • Scott Yaich, Ducks Unlimited • Sally Stroupe, USACE Engineer Research and Development Center • Joy Zedler, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison 4 Wetland Restoration – Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned TABLE OF CONTENTS ASWM Wetland Restoration Workgroup ...................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Challenges and Recommendations for Improving Wetland Restoration ....................................................... 13 1) Subjective Evaluation of Wetland Restoration Outcomes & Vague Project Goals ................... 14 2) Insufficient Monitoring Horizons ................................................................................................................ 18 3) Narrowly Focused Regulations & Permit Conditions .......................................................................... 22 4) Altered Landscapes & Changing Land Uses............................................................................................. 25 5) Separation of Wetland & Stream Restoration ........................................................................................ 28 6) Underestimation of Restoration Costs ...................................................................................................... 30 7) Lack Of An Adaptive Management Framework ..................................................................................... 34 8) Lack of Accountability ...................................................................................................................................... 36 9) Limited Access to Expertise, Training & Knowledge Sharing .......................................................... 38 Primary Barriers By Project Phase................................................................................................................................. 44 1) Planning ................................................................................................................................................................. 45 2) Design ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49 3) Implementation & Monitoring ..................................................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Next Steps: An Action Plan for Improving Wetland Restoration ....................................................................... 57 Actions To Improve Overall Project Management & Governance ..................................................................... 75 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................................... 76 APPENDIX A: Work Group Members’ Top 5 Recommendations by Webinar Topic ................................ 80 How Restoration Outcomes are Described, Judged and Explained......................................................... 80 How to Create a Good Wetland Restoration Plan ........................................................................................... 83 Atlantic Coast Coastal Marshes & Mangrove Restoration ........................................................................... 85 Temperate and Tropical/Subtropical Seagrass Restoration: Challenges for the 21st Century .... 88 Playa and Rainwater Basin Restoration ............................................................................................................. 89 Pacific Coast Wetland Restoration ........................................................................................................................ 90 Vernal Pool Restoration: How to Restore the Landscape ........................................................................... 91 5 Wetland Restoration – Contemporary Issues & Lessons Learned Prairie Pothole Restoration ..................................................................................................................................... 94 Riverine/Riparian Wetland Restoration ............................................................................................................ 95 Peatland Restoration .................................................................................................................................................