Gulf of Maine: Council on the Marine Environment

Gulf of Maine Projects

1996 Coastal Habitat Restoration Report

Conclusions and Recommendations for Future Project Development

Restoration, together with habitat and species protection, is necessary to rebuild, replace, and preserve natural resources. The Gulf of Maine is rich in natural resources, and it is these resources that the economy is dependent upon. Coastal inhabitants rely on the commercial fisheries and tourism that many of the coastal habitats and species support. The opportunities for improving and increasing restoration of coastal habitats and species are numerous, and along with protection of resources, should be the top priority. However, the common limiting factor in implementing new projects and carrying on existing projects throughout the Gulf of Maine is funding. Until adequate resources allow for more elaborate forms of restoration, such as habitat creation, economical projects that provide the best ecological returns should be pursued. These projects might include acquisition of lands for conservation and restoration projects involving tidally restricted marshes.

There are numerous marshes impacted by tidal restrictions and, for relatively economical and highly effective habitat restoration, funding should be allocated to these projects. (See Table 2.) Support, both financial and in-kind, must be consistent and long-term. Past federal funding in Canada has enabled many non-government organizations to begin effective stream restoration programs. However, changing agency goals and diminishing funds have prevented the continuation of such work, thus devaluing the original restoration efforts. Allocation of money and resources must be based on economically and ecologically sound decisions. This reinforces the need to prioritize projects based on ecological, economic, and practical considerations, so that when money becomes available it can be allocated toward those projects that provide the most benefits.

The first step in prioritizing and implementing restoration projects is to collect baseline information on current and past restoration projects and to identify potential projects for future implementation. This report and the database represent this first step and provide significant information on coastal habitat and species restoration in the Gulf of Maine. However, information gaps remain, and changes to existing information are inevitable as the number of restoration projects increase and technologies are developed and refined. Data collection and dissemination need to be ongoing and information must be updated on a regular basis. It is recommended that the following next steps be taken to continue this project:

Expand the database to include spatial data, data for prioritizing potential restoration projects, and data from consistent monitoring programs for use in long-term evaluation of ecological success.

Interface the database with the Internet to allow online usage, encourage updates, and increase exposure and participation.

Establish a permanent host that has adequate resources and commitment toward managing and updating the database and making it available to users.

Obtain memoranda of understanding between major data providers to ensure ongoing participation and submittal of updates. Major sources of information include the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration & Banking Program, New Hampshire Coastal Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Program, Gulf of Maine Seabird Working Group, United States Atlantic Salmon Assessment Committee, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Conservation Law Foundation.

Develop, adopt, and distribute a standardized form (such as the one developed for this project) available in hard copy and on the Internet for submitting updates and information on new projects.