Restoration Plans available on the Web:

When hazardous substances enter the environment, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources can be injured. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with other Department of Interior, State, Tribal and Federal partners, act as “trustees” for these resources. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has responsibility for National Wildlife Refuges, endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, and other natural resources. Trustees seek to identify the natural resources injured, determine the extent of the injuries, recover damages from those responsible, and plan and carry out natural resource restoration activities. These efforts are possible under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (Restoration Program), the goal of which is to restore natural resources injured by contamination.

Restoring the Resources

To fulfill the mission of restoring natural resources that have been injured by oil spills or hazardous substance releases, several steps must be taken. First, the natural resource trustees conduct a damage assessment to determine the extent of injury to natural resources caused by the hazardous substance release. This information is used to determine the amount of restoration that is needed. The trustees then negotiate a settlement with the responsible parties for the cost of restoration, loss of use of the land or natural resources by the general public, and money spent to assess damages. Once a settlement has been reached, the trustees take action to restore the injured resources. Finally, the trustees monitor the completed restoration projects to ensure success.

Benefitting the Fish, Wildlife and the Public

The primary benefit of the Restoration Program is that injured natural resources can be restored at no cost to taxpayers. Instead, the responsible parties pay for the restoration. In addition, because of this Program, people across the country are enjoying rivers and lands that are once again healthy and teeming with fish and wildlife, and public places that are safe for recreation and other uses.

Some recent Restoration Program successes include California’s Cantara Loop, Indiana’s Midco I and II and U.S. Steel, Iowa's Nahant Marsh, Utah’s Sharon Steel and Midvale Slag, Vermont’s Bennington landfill, and Northern Virginia's Colonial Pipeline [pdf files].

Restoration Plans available on our web site:
Charles George Land Reclamation Trust Landfill Superfund Site
Avila Beach Oil Spill -
     - Avila Beach Oil Spill Southern Sea Otter Restoration Plan
     - Restoration Action Within the San Luis Obispo Creek Watershed
Tenyo Maru oil spill
Tar Creek Superfund Site
Saegertown Superfund Site (pdf file)
Apex Houston oil spill  (pdf file)

Links:

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Web Site
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Plan
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/pdf/restoration/restorationplan.pdf   (pdf file)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1 - Pacific Region (California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Pacific Islands, Washington) Environmental Contaminants Program Restoration web site - http://pacific.fws.gov/ec/Restoration.htm

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3 - Great Lakes/Big Rivers (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) Natural Resource Damage Assessments web site - http://midwest.fws.gov/nrda/nrda.html

Michigan's Saginaw River and Bay Natural Resource Damage Assessment - Press Release: Dredging Completed Ahead Of Schedule in Clean-up of Saginaw River and Bay Contaminants

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5 - Northeast Region (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia)

Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Reports and Determinations - http://contaminants.fws.gov/restorationplans/HudsonRiver/HudsonRiver.cfm

Palmerton (Pennsylvania) Zinc Pile Natural Resource Damage Assessment: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Reports and Determinations - http://contaminants.fws.gov/restorationplans/Palmerton/Palmerton.cfm

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 - Mountain/Prarie Region (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming) Jordan River Restoration Project (Sharon Steel and Midvale Slag) Salt Lake County, Utah - http://www.r6.fws.gov/jordan/

U.S. Department of Interior, Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program - http://restoration.doi.gov/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Damage Assessment and Restoration Program (cooperative projects with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service):
- Commencement Bay, Washington
- Elliott Bay/Duwamish River, Washington
- New Bedford Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
- M/V Kuroshima Oil Spill Restoration Plan (pdf file)

Applied Environmental Services (Shore Realty), Glenwood Landing, New York: Revised Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment  (3.3 MB pdf file)

State of Rhode Island. Department of Environmental Management: North Cape Restoration Plan (cooperative project)

Updated: June 30, 2004