2001 Partnership Award Recipients

NERIT

East Machias Dam Removal Project – ME

The abandoned relict dam in East Machias, Maine was removed as a military training exercise by the USAF, under the direction of the Maine NRCS office. The state Atlantic Salmon Commission and the Town of East Machias were the local sponsors. Over 300 stream miles of Atlantic Salmon and anadromous fisheries migration corridor restoration has been accomplished. Additionally numerous riparian wetlands and riverine shading features have been added. This project combined the use of military training exercises with an ecological restoration and the sponsorship of the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership. Team members included: US Air Force Red Horse Unit; Natural Resources Conservation Service – Maine; US Fish and Wildlife Service; Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Maine Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership Advisory Board; US Army Corps of Engineers and the Town of East Machias (specific names and contacts will be provided).

MARIT

Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project Team – NJ

The Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project was successfully completed through a team effort of federal, state, county, and private organizations to provide passage for migratory fish on the Cooper River. The project involved installing two fishways in Haddonfield, NJ to allow migratory fish, specifically blueback herring, the opportunity to access historic feeding and spawning areas. The two fish ladders opened approximately 4 miles of stream to migratory and resident fish species. Team members included: COE, USFWS, EPA, NMFS, Camden County Parks Dept., NJ DEP, Fish America Foundation and Public Service Electric & Gas.

SERIT

Charleston Air Force Base Offshore Reef Project – SC

The purpose of this project was to reuse concrete debris to construct a near-shore artificial reef off the coast of Charleston, SC. The concrete debris was generated during previous C-17 bed-down military construction projects. The following individuals and organizations participated in this successful effort: Charleston AFB; South Carolina Army National Guard (SCARNG); Coastal America Southeast Regional Implementation Team; South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District (ACOE); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division; Air Force Regional Environmental Office, Atlanta, GA; USAF Headquarters Air Mobility Command; and Navy Caretaker Site Office.

GMRIT

Galveston Island State Park Restoration Team – TX

This project, the first of its kind in Texas, is novel by combining its use of geotextile tubes of three different sizes for protection from erosion, marsh terracing to replace the marsh losses and bird nesting islands lost due to subsidence, seagrass plantings to replace seagrass meadows extirpated more than 25 years ago. In addition, this project has combines and has created extensive support for beneficial uses of dredged material by local communities as well as the habitat restoration features. Team members included: USFWS, NMFS, COE, NRCS, TX Parks and Wildlife, Galveston Bay Foundation, TX General Land Office, Reliant Energy, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Dredge America and Shiner, Mosely & Assoc.

SWRIT

San Diego Bay Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan – CA (combined)

This San Diego Bay INRMP is a long term strategy sponsored by two of the major managers of San Diego Bay: the US Navy and San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD). Its intent is to provide direction for the good stewardship that natural resources require, while also supporting the ability of the Navy and Port to meet their missions and continue functioning within the Bay. The ecosystem approach reflected in the Plan looks at the interconnections among all the Bay’s natural resources and human uses, across ownership and jurisdictional boundaries. The Bay is viewed as an ecosystem rather than as a collection of individual species or sites or projects. Led by the U.S. Navy Southwest Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) for the San Diego Bay Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) consisted of federal, state and local agencies, as well as non-governmental environmental groups. In addition to Southwest Division, this “umbrella” committee consisted of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Sweetwater National Wildlife Refuge; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG); California Coastal Commission; San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board; Friends of South Bay Wildlife; San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD); The Environmental Trust; U.S. Navy, Commander Naval Region Southwest; Zoological Society of San Diego; and San Diego Association of Governments.

Naval Amphibious Base Habitat Enhancement Site – CA (combined)

The Navy in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Game, and the Technical Oversight Committee for the San Diego Bay Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, a Coastal America endorsed process, undertook a cooperative effort to design the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Enhancement Site to meet specific objectives. The objectives were to restore intertidal/subtidal habitat that has been greatly reduced since the turn of the century, to provide forage opportunities for the federally endangered least tern and western snowy plover, plant eelgrass to enhance fisheries and infauna habitat and construct fish habitat structures to provide cover for juvenile fish. Team members included: U.S. Navy, Southwest Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command (lead); National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Game, San Diego Bay Integrated Natural Recourses Management Plan Technical Oversight Committee including representatives from the following agencies: California Coastal Commission, California Regional Water Quality Control Board. Friends of South Bay Wildlife, Port of San Diego, The Environmental Trust, U.S. Navy, Commander Naval Region Southwest, Zoological Society of San Diego.

AKRIT

Rehabilitation Station Education Program – AK

Cadette Girl Scout Troop 760, of the Susitna Girl Scout Council in Anchorage, Alaska, has partnered with the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Alaska SeaLife Center (a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center). The partnership has developed a program that involves a series of workshops for Girl Scouts. The workshops focus on raising the awareness of critical coastal issues such as damage to habitat from pollution and oil spills, scientific methods being used to study these issues, career opportunities, scientific technology and funding issue as they relate to restoration and rehabilitation of these resources. Other partners included the USEPA.

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