Evaluation of Environmental Investments Procedures: Interim Overview Manual,

Harrington, Keith W.; Feather, Timothy D.

doi:10.21236/ada319466

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Multijurisdictional environments complicate large-scale river basin and coastal systems planning (e.g., multiple states and tribes in the Columbia River basin), necessitating a collaborative approach. In earlier assessments (Harrington and Feather 1996), the identification and inclusion of stakeholders in the planning process was also cited as a means of strengthening the knowledge base in the project planning process. More recently, the Corps in 2006 adopted 12 Actions for Change, which include a collaborative approach and a systems-based approach to "shift the focus from isolated, individual projects to interdependent groups of projects…from local solutions for immediate problems to regional solutions for longer term problems."…”

Section: Collaborative Planning For Large-scale River Systems Restoramentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2006

Johnson¹,

Borde²,

Dawley³

et al. 2007

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Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, 2004iii AbstractThe restoration of wetland salmon habitat in the 235-km tidal portion of the Columbia River is accelerating and is anticipated to improve habitat quality through hydrological reconnection of existing and restored habitats. Currently, multiple groups are implementing a variety of restoration strategies. However, the region lacks a standardized means of evaluating the effectiveness of individual projects and methods for assessing estuary-wide cumulative effects. This project is establishing a framework for such evaluations. A priority has been to develop a protocol manual for minimum monitoring of physical and biological metrics, intended to standardize data collection critical for analyzing changes following restoration actions. The draft manual included with this report is a practical technical guide for the design and implementation of restoration monitoring from Bonneville Dam to the river mouth. Additionally, the project's literature review and synthesis identified ways that effects can accumulate (e.g., cross-boundary effects, compounding effects) as well as analytical tools (e.g., models, matrices) for assessing them. Restoration project managers on the estuary began using the draft manual in 2005, and their feedback will be incorporated as the manual is finalized for wider distribution. Field studies are being implemented to test the protocols and to evaluate additional potential indicators for detecting a signal in the estuarine system (e.g., organic matter production, sedimentation, food webs, biodiversity, salmon habitat usage, and allometry.) Baseline data were collected in 2005 on two restoration sites and two associated reference sites. The sites represent two habitat types of the estuary -brackish marsh and freshwater swampthat have sustained substantial losses in area and that may play important roles for salmonids. Baseline data collected included vegetation and elevation surveys, above-and below-ground biomass, water depth and temperature, nutrient flux, fish species composition, and channel geometry. This data will be reported and evaluated in the 2005 Annual Report, which will include a new version of the protocol manual revised based on 2005 field work. Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, 2004 iv Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, 2004 v PrefaceThis report is a deliverable for the 2004 study. As such, it includes all of our work products for the 2004 study year. Future annual reports will be prepared for the remaining study years 2005 through 2009. In this report we introduce the research problem (Chapter 1), review the literature (Chapter 2), summarize CRE habitat use by juvenile salmon (Chapter 3), describe a conceptual model for the CRE ecosystem (Chapter 4), develop standard monitoring protocols for CRE restoration projects (Chapter 5), and provide recommendati...

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Section: Collaborative Planning For Large-scale River Systems Restoramentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2006

Johnson¹,

Borde²,

Dawley³

et al. 2007

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“…Figure 8. Schematic of an Adaptive Management Process for Estuary RME Partnerships are often critical to the success of restoration programs (Harrington and Feather 1996). As these partnerships develop, coordination is critical to make use of all existing information, maximize efficiencies in budgets and effort, and learn from related projects.…”

Section: Coordination and Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program.

Johnson¹,

Diefenderfer

2008

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SummaryThe purpose of this document is to describe research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program, hereafter called "the Estuary Program." The intent of this RME effort is to provide data and information to evaluate progress toward meeting program goals and objectives and support decision making in the Estuary Program. The goal of the Estuary Program is to understand, conserve, and restore the estuary ecosystem to improve the performance a of listed salmonid populations. The Estuary Program has five general objectives, designed to fulfill the program goal, as follows.1. Understand the primary stressors affecting ecosystem controlling factors, such as ocean conditions and invasive species. 2. Conserve and restore factors controlling ecosystem structures and processes, such as hydrodynamics and water quality. 3. Increase the quantity and quality of ecosystem structures, i.e., habitats, juvenile salmonids use during migration through the estuary. 4. Maintain the food web to benefit salmonid performance. 5. Improve salmonid performance in terms of life history diversity, foraging success, growth, and survival.The goal of estuary RME is to provide pertinent and timely research and monitoring information to planners, implementers, and managers of the Estuary Program. The goal leads to three primary management questions pertaining to the main focus of the Estuary Program: estuary habitat conservation and restoration. 1) Are the estuary habitat actions achieving the expected biological and environmental performance targets? 2) Are the offsite habitat actions in the estuary improving juvenile salmonid performance and which actions are most effective at addressing the limiting factors preventing achievement of habitat, fish, or wildlife performance objectives? 3) What are the limiting factors or threats in the estuary/ocean preventing the achievement of desired habitat or fish performance objectives?Performance measures for the estuary are monitored indicators that reflect the status of habitat conditions and fish performance, e.g., habitat connectivity, survival, and life history diversity. Performance measures also pertain to implementation and compliance. Such measures are part of the monitoring, research, and action plans in this estuary RME document. Performance targets specific to the estuary were not included in the 2007 draft Biological Opinion.To address the estuary RME goal and management questions, estuary RME has the following objectives and associated sub-objectives: a Salmonid performance means life history diversity, foraging success, spatial structure, and growth . AER 3. Develop and implement a methodology to estimate the cumulative effects of habitat conservation and restoration projects in terms of cause-and-effect relationships between ecosystem a Status and trends monitoring is defined as census or statistically designed monitoring of fish or wildlife populations and/or environmental conditions (i.e., watershed conditions) to assess the current status (at a p...

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Guidelines, processes and tools for coastal ecosystem restoration, with examples from the United States

Thom

Diefenderfer

Adkins

et al. 2010

Plankton Benthos Res

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This paper presents a systematic approach to coastal restoration projects with five components: planning, implementation, performance assessment, adaptive management, and dissemination of results. Typical features of the iterative planning process are synthesized, beginning with a vision, a description of the ecosystem and landscape, and goals. The conceptual model and planning objectives are developed, prioritization techniques are used for site selection, and numerical models contribute to preliminary designs as needed. Within the planning process, cost analysis involves budgeting, scheduling, and financing. Performance criteria and reference sites are selected during design of the monitoring program. Particular emphasis is given to the monitoring program, used as a tool to assess project performance and identify problems affecting progression toward project goals, within an adaptive management framework. Key approaches to aspects of the monitoring program are reviewed and detailed with project examples. Another important means of strengthening the restoration project or program is documentation, peer review, and the distribution of information outside the planning team prior to finalizing construction plans, during implementation, and throughout monitoring and adaptive management. Introduction to the Restoration Project ComponentsIn planning a coastal restoration project, sound ecological science and engineering and rigorous planning procedures are equally important. A failure in any area can lead to costly retrofitting during or after project implementation (Noble et al. 2000). A range of planning methods and theories may be used, including, for example, rational, incremental, adaptive, and consensual approaches.Implementation may include many forms of construction "actions". Shreffler et al. (1995) list common actions including ground enhancement, rip rap installation, culvert installation, culvert cleanout and removal, channel cleaning, erosion control, vegetation planting, dike removal, dike/dam/levee building, and cattle fencing. In a national review of coastal restoration methods, Borde et al. (2003) describe innovative restoration methods in habitats including coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes, and intertidal zones (seagrasses), including the placement of reef balls and other underwater structures.A monitoring program for performance assessment does not need to be complex and expensive to be effective (Kentula et al. 1992a). The National Research Council (1992) recommended that to assess the equivalency of the restored system to the antecedent one, wetland restoration monitoring programs should observe ten conditions. In developing monitoring protocols for assessment of two large estuaries on the West Coast U.S.A. (Simenstad et al. 1991, Roegner et al. 2009), we have found that these ten conditions are generally applicable to coastal restoration projects: (1) assessment criteria should include structural and functional attributes; (2) criteria should be based on known antecedent condi...

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Evaluation of Environmental Investments Procedures: Interim Overview Manual,

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2006

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2006

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program.

Guidelines, processes and tools for coastal ecosystem restoration, with examples from the United States

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