Method to Identify the Priority Benefits to Restore at Tidal Wetland Sites

To restore the production of ecosystem services to contaminated or otherwise degraded sites, restoration managers must first determine which ecosystem services are of priority interest to the stakeholders that the restoration will benefit. One approach to identify those key ecosystem services is to query the decision makers and stakeholders associated with each specific restoration project. We are beta testing the FEGS Scoping Tool (FST) in consultation with managers and decision-makers for three tidal wetland projects in the Pacific northwest as a tool to accomplish that. This purpose of this presentation is brief to the manager of a former timber mill site, which is slated for restoration to become a tidal wetland, about using FST to identify the ecosystem services and their associated ecological attributes that are of greatest interest to the stakeholders for this impending restoration.

Impact/Purpose

Managers of restoration projects are interested in tools that will help they identify the ecosystem services that could provide benefits desired by stakeholders of the restoration project. A team of CPHEA and CEMM researchers are beta-testing the FEGS Scoping Tool as a means to identify the ecosystem services, and their ecological attributes, of greatest mutual interest among stakeholders of tidal wetland restoration projects. The results of this research will be applicable to other decision contexts including involving contaminated site restoration. Additionally, comparisons across the tidal wetland restoration case studies will inform the development of metrics that can be used to assess the success of restoration with respect to provisioning of desired ecosystem services.

Citation

DeWitt, Ted, C. Hernandez, C. Jackson, AND L. Sharpe. Method to Identify the Priority Benefits to Restore at Tidal Wetland Sites. Briefing to Beaver Creek (OR) restoration site manager, Seal Rock, OR, May 01, 2020.