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This page is a compilation of answers to the FAQs related to
Environmental Restoration.
Environmental Restoration
Programs
What are some federal level environmental restoration programs?
What are some state level environmental restoration programs?
What state and non-profit agencies are involved in restoration programs in
Florida?
Principles of Environmental
Restoration
What are the principles of Environmental Restoration?
Wetland Function
Why is wetland restoration important for the restoration of the environment?
What is the function of a wetland?
What affects the wetland?
Environmental Restoration
Programs
What are some federal level environmental restoration programs?
Environmental Protection Agency has many program that have been functional
in restoring the environment in many diverse ways. Some the EPA conducted
restoration programs are:
This programs is involved in renewing natural and historical wetlands that
have lost their functionalities. EPA has developed a strategic plan to
reinvent these watersheds for environmental benefit and to ensure the health
of nation's ecosystem.
Conducts research and technical assistance to provide the scientific basis
to support the development of strategies and technologies to protect and
restore ground water, surface water, and ecosystems impacted by man-made and
natural processes.
Information and education in an integral part of the restoration efforts.
The tools- Envirofacts and EnviroMapper are introduced by the EPA, which
access to several other EPA databases that provide the user with information
about environmental activities that may affect air, water, and land anywhere
in the United States.
FFRR program was developed by EPA to ensure effective cleanup of federal
facilities to attain the following goals:
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Protecting human health and environment at and near any federal facility
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Promote reuse of federal facilities in a manner that is conducive to human
health and the environment
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Enhance the cleanup process
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Ensure effective stakeholder involvement at federal facilities
What are some state level environmental restoration programs?
There are 55 restoration projects that are included in the River Corridor
Wetland Restoration plan that the EPA is conducting in the state of Florida.
More can be learned about these projects from the
EPA, River Corridor and Wetland Restoration
page.
Institute of Food and Agricultural Science at the University of Florida is
also involved in the restoration programs, statewide. The Lake Okeechobee
restoration project is one of the most notable of all project, because of
the involvement of many agencies and due to the lake's vulnerable and
high-use profile. Florida Sea Grant and Cooperative Extension Service are
two outreach programs associated with South Florida Ecosystem Restoration
Projects and are involved in the providing science based information to all
through Florida Bay Education Projects. All of the restoration efforts in
Florida are closely tied to the Everglades restoration task. And all these
agencies are actively participating in the same.
What state and non-profit agencies are involved in restoration programs in
Florida?
There are many restoration plans that are involved in the environmental
restoration efforts, in the state of Florida. The plans and the leading
agencies are listed below:
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The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)- The leading
teams of CERP, historically, were the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Jacksonville District and the South Florida Water Management District in
West Palm Beach. But at present, Department of Army, Department of
Agriculture, Department of Interior, Department of Commerce, EPA, and
many other state, county and local agencies also form the partnership.
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Kissimmee River and Watershed Restoration- This restoration plans in
carried out by South Florida Water Management District. The team involves an
array of Environmental specialist who are experts in the field of
engineering, science, management, and real estate.
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Audubon of Florida- National Audubon Society and Florida Audubon
Society formed an alliance in partnership with 43 local Audubon chapters and
formed Audubon of Florida. Audubon of Florida may be the pioneers of
restoration efforts in Florida and the nation. In more than 100 years of
their existence, Audubon of Florida has focused on conservation and
restoration of natural ecosystems, mainly on birds and other wildlife for
the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.
Principles of Environmental
Restoration
What are the principles of Environmental Restoration?
Four principles of Environmental Restoration are the key to any successful
restoration plan:
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Developing effective communication and cooperation with a Project Management
Team
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Identifying and defining clearly, concisely and accurately the area of
problem
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Recognizing the possible response of the action;
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Managing uncertainties with an open mind
Wetland Function
Why is wetland restoration important for the restoration of the environment?
Wetlands play a big part in helping restore the environment. Thus,
restoration of wetlands is the key to most watershed or environmental
restoration plan.
What are the functions of a wetland?
The most important function of a wetland is to remove nutrients from surface
and groundwater. Many physical and biogeochemical processes in wetlands
provide a natural filtering system, which helps maintain and improve water
quality. The removal of nutrients in a wetland happens in many ways. One is
due to the presence of anaerobic soils, which gives rise to an
aerobic-anaerobic interface near the soil surface. This provides for
biological and chemical conditions which result in nutrient removal.
Wetlands also have the ability to transform inorganic forms of nutrients to
organic forms. Organic forms of nutrients undergo biological decomposition
and get transformed into available form of nutrients. This quality of a
wetland helps reduce or slow down the algal population in the water
downstream
What affects the wetland?
The three factors that may affect a wetland are:
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Climate- Temperature and precipitation are responsible for the water-balance
in the wetland hydrology
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Geomorphology- The land structures, landscapes all affect the flooding depth
or hydro-period. Much of interaction of a wetland depends on its regional
position because position is largely responsible on the amount, type and
quality of water entering a wetland.
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Source of water- Water in a wetland can be fed through three major sources-
rainfall, groundwater, and surface water. Water chemistry and ecological
function of a wetland is largely dependent on its source of water.
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