1. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 JOHN H. DUNNIGAN Ecosystem Goal Lead Capitol Hill Oceans Week June 8, 2005

2. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Ultimate Ecosystem

3. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 NOAA’s Vision: A Better World Through Ecological and Environmental Knowledge, and Stewardship Ecosystems Climate Weather and Water Transportation and Commerce Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management NOAA’s Strategic Goals

4. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 An Ecosystem is: -a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), and -the environment and the processes that control its dynamics.

5. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 An ecosystem approach to management: Collaborative Incremental Adaptive Geographically Specific Accounts for ecosystem knowledge and uncertainty Considers multiple external influences Balances diverse societal objectives

6. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005

7. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Inland Watershed Boundaries Inland Boundary Coastal Watersheds Inland Extent of Diadromous fish Next Steps Refine boundaries of ten ecosystems Hold regional stakeholder workshops Determine sub-ecoregions Establish ecosystem health and socio- economic indicators

8. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 NOAA’s Habitat Program compensatory restoration large-scale wetland restoration community-involved restoration Accomplishments restored 16,000 habitat acres removed 80 stream blockages opened 700 stream miles involved 82,000 volunteers, resulting in 482,000 hours created 24 national and regional partnerships with >1,500 federal, state, tribal, and local entities

9. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Understand Components of Ecosystems Prioritize Habitats Allocate Resources Evaluate and Improve Success Feedback to Priorities

10. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Understand Components of Ecosystems Prioritize Habitats Allocate Resources Evaluate and Improve Success Feedback to Priorities

11. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Prioritize Habitats by Large Marine Ecosystem –H–Habitat Condition and Utilization habitat loss habitat fragmentation critical species utilization –H–Human Dimensions commercial and recreational use cultural significance / community support protection of infrastructure (erosion control) –T–Technical Feasibility and Cost Effectiveness

12. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Understand Components of Ecosystems Prioritize Habitats Allocate Resources Evaluate and Improve Success Feedback to Priorities

13. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Understand Components of Ecosystems Prioritize Habitats Allocate Resources Evaluate and Improve Success Feedback to Priorities

14. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Understand Components of Ecosystems Prioritize Habitats Allocate Resources Evaluate and Improve Success Feedback to Priorities

15. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment –international partnership (US and Canadian membership) –strategic implementation of ecosystem- based management Jon Kachmar, Maine State Planning Office Coordinator of Habitat Restoration Sub- Committee

16. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Puget Sound, Washington Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Cases –Elliott Bay & Duwamish River –Commencement Bay NRDA Co-trustee Partnerships to Address Injuries

17. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Individual Species Narrow Perspective & Scale Humans Independent of Ecosystem Disconnected Resource Management Management Not Informed by Science All Things Considered (Ecosystem) Broad Perspective & Scale Humans Integral to Ecosystem Integrated Resource Management Adaptive Management Based On Science Current Mandates Future Mandates

18. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 NOAA has adopted an ecosystem approach to management as a guiding principle for its strategic plan. Habitat Program and Wetland Restoration are key components to NOAA’s ecosystem approach to management. A collaborative effort between NOAA and regional stakeholders is necessary for successful ecosystem approach to management and wetland restoration.

19. Capitol Hill Oceans Week Wetlands Restoration Panel June 8, 2005 Ultimate Ecosystem Contact: ecosystem.goal.comments@noaa.gov 301-713-9075 For More Information: http://ecosystems.noaa.gov