Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the NOAA Restoration Center?

The NOAA Restoration Center (RC) provides restoration expertise and comprehensive restoration planning and implementation for coastal and marine habitas facing chronic problems like subsidence, erosion, and disruption of natural processes.

The RC works to:

• Implement quality restoration project
• Advance the science of habitat restoration
• Monitor success of projects to ensure healthy and sustainable fishery resources
• Empower local groups to implement their own community-based restoration project

What are the key programs run by the Restoration Center?

The RC administers four main programs:

• DARRP - Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program
• CWPPRA - Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act
• CRP - Community-based Restoration Program
• RSP - Restoration Science Program

How much is the NOAA Restoration Center spending on restoration activities across the country?

The RC has a number of programs working to restore coastal habitats. Some of which are:

The Community-based Restoration Program - Through this program, the RC provides $11 million annually for restoration projects, as well providing technical assistance. Based on past experience, NOAA’s investment in these projects will be leveraged several times with matching funds and in kind services, bringing the estimated value of funded projects to upwards of $40 million.

The Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program - The RC spends approximately $2 million in appropriated funds to restore injuries to the environment due to oil spills and toxic release. Since its inception in 1990, the Program has collected more than $500 million in damage awards for use in restoration activities.

The Coastal Wetland Planning Protection and Restoration Program - In FY2008, NOAA Fisheries received between $6 and $7 million to undertake large scale wetland restoration in coastal Louisiana. Since the Program started, the NOAA RC has allocated $80 million for 22 large-scale wetland restoration and creation projects.

Are restored habitats as productive as the previously unperturbed habitats were?

Naturally, the desired result of all restoration projects is to restore full ecosystem function, but just as habitats are not degraded overnight, habitat structure and function also take time to become reestablished, even when the best available engineering and scientific techniques are used. Restoration is still a relatively young science, and many habitat restorations "completed" over the last decade are still becoming established, evolving toward better functioning, and so are still under evaluation. During this monitoring phase, research often reveals that further modifications or corrections are needed to achieve the desired level of restoration. Some habitats have been degraded so severely over such a long period of time that it may take years before they become as productive as undamaged areas, so it is critical to evaluate every project with a thorough and ongoing monitoring program.