In the Great Lakes watershed, where much of the watershed is in the hands of private landowners, the importance of public-private partnership (PPP) programs to wetland conservation and restoration, and therefore water quality and ecosystem health, is vital. However, there has been little assessment of PPP programs, such as FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife or NRCS Wetlands Reserve programs, focused on ecological factors such as wetland associated biodiversity and water quality, and even less research focused on social or economic factors, such as why landowners choose to participate, their views on the value of the projects, what conservation practices they undertake, and the economic value of wetland restoration. These types of assessments are critical for improving and sustaining the success and impacts of PPP programs for wetland restoration.
With engagement and input from agencies and conservation NGOs who implement wetland restoration PPP programs, my team measured the ecological, social, and economic impacts of 50 restored PPP wetlands on private landholdings within the Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River watershed in New York State, in comparison to 20 natural reference wetlands in the same landscape. Key environmental and socioeconomic indicators for determining the suitability of a site for participation in a PPP program were identified, ecological and economic benefits of restored wetlands were quantified, and recommendations and BMPs to support outreach and recruitment for participation and for managing projects under these programs were developed.
Results/Conclusions
PPP wetland restorations are successful at restoring wetlands to the landscape that are similar in hydrology, water quality, and wetland-associated biodiversity as natural wetlands in the same landscape. Restored wetlands and their bordering conservation easements provide occupied habitat for both wetland-associated and upland Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Landowners participate in PPP because they perceive values related to natural heritage and a desire to participate in environmental management. Overall PPP wetland restoration programs are successful at restoring and enhancing wetland-associated ecosystem services on the landscape, and are positively evaluated by landowner participants. An emerging environmental management issue is how next-generation landowners perceive and steward the wetland restorations and associated easements.