Application of "Best Available Science" in Ecosystem Restoration: Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Restoration Efforts in the USA

To provide scientific direction for the Nearshore Partnership in its planning phase, the Nearshore Science Team (NST) sought to more clearly define the role and position of scientific input into large restoration programs such as Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Program. To accomplish their objective, the NST conducted a “lessons learned” exercise to characterize the role of science in five large-scale restoration programs beyond the Pacific Northwest: the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the California Bay-Delta Authority (CALFED), the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program (GCAMP), and the Louisiana Coastal Areas Ecosystem Restoration Program (LCA). The NST suggests that efficiently and effectively using science, as a foundation for making decisions will greatly improve a restoration program’s ability to successfully conceptualize, design, and implement large-scale restoration efforts in the long-term.