Just as habitats are not degraded overnight, habitat structure and function also take time to become reestablished, even when the best available engineering and scientific techniques are used. Restoration is still a relatively young science, and many habitat restorations completed over the last decade are still becoming established, evolving toward better functioning, and so are
The nine attributes listed below provide a basis for determining when restoration has been accomplished. The full expression of all of these attributes is not essential to demonstrate restoration. Instead, it is only necessary for these attributes to demonstrate an appropriate trajectory of ecosystem development towards the intended goals or reference. Some attributes are readily
Most often, habitat restoration activities are conducted by federal, state, and local government resource agencies, as well as by private and nonprofit groups in order to restore and enhance degraded ecosystems. Even private landowners are restoring habitats on their lands because they are good stewards of the land and believe it is the right thing
Habitat restoration is important for reasons varying from aesthetic and recreational to economic and pragmatic. Wild lands and wilderness have aesthetic properties that help to maintain mental health for millions of people every year. Restoring habitats can facilitate the return of wildlife to disturbed areas for its own sake or for the sake of recreational
Habitat restoration is accomplished through management, protection, and reestablishment of plants by returning abiotic factors (e.g., soil chemistry, water content, disturbance) and biotic factors (e.g., species composition, interactions among species) to historical levels. Properly restored ecosystems demonstrate the historical species diversity of the area instead of one species in monoculture. Reestablishing plants provides a food
Habitat restoration is an intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem with respect to its health, integrity and sustainability. It involves measures necessary to restore, enhance, or create healthy ecosystems, including the reestablishment of native vegetation and fish and wildlife habitat on disturbed or denuded sites.
In Wisconsin, wetlands are regulated by the WDNR and the US Army Corps of Engineers – depending on the wetlands location and isolation from “waters of the United States.” Counties and other municipalities may have their own wetland / environmental regulation.
Wetland delineations conducted by either Mr. Havel or Mr. Bretl or me do not require field concurrence by the WDNR, which is important because an on-site review by the WDNR could take up to 30 days and cost a fee. Therefore, hiring NES to oversee your wetland projects could save you both time and money.
Although neither the federal government nor the State of Wisconsin currently have professional licensing or registration requirements (like engineers or surveyors) for individuals conducting wetland work, the WDNR has an Assured Professional Wetland Delineator program that allows wetland professionals with significant knowledge and experience to bypass certain parts of the regulatory process. James Havel and
We can conduct wetland delineations during the growing season. The dates will vary throughout Wisconsin, but the general timeframe is from April – October.
