EPA Region 7 Recognizes Five Star Restoration Awardees

Three environmental restoration projects have received grants totaling $42,677. The Five Star Restoration Program brings together citizen groups, corporations, youth organizations, landowners, and government agencies to undertake projects that restore streams and wetlands.

EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew said, “Wetlands and stream restoration projects are some of the best tools for improving water quality in our watersheds. The partnerships are key ingredients to the success of these restoration projects.”

The awardees include:

Iowa’s Mitchell County Conservation Board - $20,000: This project will restore 82 acres of wetlands and 98 acres of tallgrass native prairie in the St. Ansgar area. The restored site will eliminate herbicide and pesticide use on 180 acres adjacent to the Cedar River and help filter an additional 300 acres of private cropland.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas - $7,000: This project will restore about three acres of wetlands on the 11-square-mile reservation near Mayetta. Project outcomes include improved habitat for migrating birds, erosion prevention, and increased awareness of wetland protection for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation - $15,677: This project will help to restore areas in and around Cape Girardeau, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis. The effort will restore 21,000 acres of wetlands and 6,040 linear feet of waterside buffer habitat. Specific activities, which will be undertaken by Youth Conservation Corps crews, include native wetlands restoration, removal of in-stream debris, monitoring, buffer enhancements, native grass plantings, aquatic habitat improvements, and storm drain stenciling.

EPA’s Five Star Restoration Program is a partnership with several organizations, which is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

EPA’s Five Star Restoration Program grants totaled more than $610,600 for 2007. They have gone to 42 community-based wetland and streamside habitat restoration projects nationwide. The communities have committed an additional $2.1 million in local project support.