SOUTHERN
    COMPANY
Energy to Serve Your
              Building Partnerships...Empowering Communities...Restoring our Natural Resources

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                      i Five Star Restora-
                      Program is an out-
                      ding model of the
                      iborative partner-
                      s that will accelerate
                      Dace of protecting
                      conserving our na-
                      s environment. EPA
                      oud to be a source
                      soperation, and by
                  inspiring communities to
 care for their aquatic resources we are help-
 ing to meet President Bush's challenge to re-
 store, improve and protect three million acres
 of wetlands nationwide by 2009."

                      Stephen L. Johnson,
                          Administrator,
                          red status of the
watershed at the neighborhood level and imple-
menting on the ground restoration activities in
those neighborhoods with residents and youth,
is critical to sustaining clean-up efforts now and
in the future. As a result of our education pro-
gram, additional community stakeholders from the
private, public and non-profit sectors are  now
participating in long  range watershed planning
activities and funding strategies."

                            -Peggy Davis
                        Education Director
                       Baton Rouge Green
                    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
 What  is  the  Five  Star

 Restoration  Program?

 * Provides grants, technical support and information exchange to help com-
   munities across the country build strong partnerships that work together on
   riparian, coastal or wetland restoration projects
 * Grants act as seed funding to leverage additional community resources
 * Grantees work with partners to foster local natural resource stewardship
   through education, outreach, training activities and on-the-ground restoration
 * Primary program funding for the Five Star Partnership is provided by the Wet-
   lands Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The National
   Association of Counties, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wildlife
   Habitat Council, coordinate with EPA to select projects and distribute funds.
                                              Five-Star
                                              Restoration
                                              Program

                                              1999-2005
                                              Total Project
                                              Sites: Nearly 400
                                              Facts About  the  Program
if Average grant award is $10,000, with actual award amounts ranging from
   $5,000 to $20,000.
* Project partners are diverse and nontraditional, and they generally include
  at least five (hence the Five Stars) participants from local governments,
  corporations and businesses, schools and youth groups, environmental and
  citizen non-profit organizations and representatives of federal and state
  government agencies.
* Partners generally provide matching funds through in-kind services and
  donations.
* Project sites can be public land, such as parks, streams and school campuses,
  or private land, such as corporate facilities.
* A bronze plaque is offered to each project site to commemorate partners'
  contributions.


What  are Wetlands?

A wetland is a unique place serving as the link between land  and water in a
community. Wetlands provide a wide range of benefits to communities from
economic benefits to protecting public health and safety, producing harvestable
products and providing recreation and education opportunities. In addition, wet-
lands are habitat for wildlife, birds and fish.

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The  Five  Star  Projects

* Facilitate community stewardship, outreach and education goals.
* Encourage communities to get involved with on-the-ground
   restoration activities.
* Most projects are labor intensive, such as eliminating non-native
   plants, collecting and planting native seeds or removing blockades
   for tidal flushing or fish pathways.
* Upon completion, successful projects show measurable ecological,
   educational or economic benefits.
* Projects with long term monitoring and protection plans are
   preferred.
            The young men and women who worked on
            this project have been shining examples of
            how hard work, determination, and coopera-
            tion can lend such a great benefit to the entire
            community. The Five Star grant we received
            acted as the catalyst to this project - a project
            that  will continue  and expand in the years
            to come."

                                       — Diane Stulz
                              SEAS Program Manager
             Worcester County, Maryland Public Schools
            "The county and region  benefited by  devel-
            oping partnerships through the Five Star Grant
            Program.  The Shoreline Restoration Workshops
            provided local officials and volunteers with the
            information and  tools they need  to strike an
            effective balance between public use and re-
            source protection."
                                         — Mike Byerly
                                          Commissioner
                                Alachua County, Florida
                                                                                        Shooting
                                                                                         Stars...
                                                                                   Projects Making a Difference
                                                              Alachua County, Florida: Shoreline Restoration
        The Alachua County Board of Commissioners joined
forces with multiple state and local partners to improve water
quality within  their county and  throughout Florida.  Project
partners coordinated three Shoreline Restoration Workshops at
Poe Springs Park on the Santa Fe River in Alachua County.  Over
133 people from 17 counties learned about shoreline restoration
techniques and  practiced these techniques at Poe Springs Park.
Most participants were waterfront property owners and state and
county agency staff members with the greatest ability to further
restoration in the county and state. Their efforts at Poe Springs
restored 1.2 acres of wetlands and 1,389 feet of stream bank.
        The project also engaged many Floridians from around
the state, who are now determined to implement shoreline
restoration in  their communities. Educational  signage  and
outreach materials at the popular park teach citizens how they can
help protect and restore their water resources. Project partners
included numerous community  volunteers, Alachua County's
Environmental Protection and Public Works Departments, Current
Problems, Inc., North Central Florida YMCA, Florida Springs
Initiative, the Florida Department  of Environmental Protection
and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences Cooperative Extension Service.

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The  Five  Stars

Developing diverse partnerships is central to all Five
Star projects, and critical to success.

How many Partners?
   *  Typical projects include at least five diverse
      partners.

Who are the Partners?
   *  Partners can be school or youth groups;
      public, private or corporate landowners;
      local, state and federal government agencies;
      local community or environmental non-profit
      organizations; universities or K-12 schools;
      local businesses; rural electric cooperatives; or
      land trusts.

What do the partners provide?
   *  Partner contributions include: funding, land,
      technical assistance, workforce support or in-
      kind services.
   *  Most partnerships contribute more than
      $40,000 for every $10,000 Five Star grant.
                       Shooting
                         Stars...
                   Projects Making a Difference
Russian River Riparian Restoration, California
       Working with community members, students, and
businesses along salmon streams in the Russian River watershed,
Circuit Rider Productions, Inc. (CRP) successfully implemented
twelve on-the-ground restoration projects, restoring sixty  acres
of riverine habitat in California. Project partners restored
this important habitat through an environmental  education
program that involved high school students, landowners and the
community.
       The project expanded restoration work to several sites
owned by farmers and wine producers. Two of these important
restoration sites were the Clos Du Bois Vineyard and Winery and
the Simi Vineyards and Winery.  CRP also developed partnerships
with twenty-eight organizations, including the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, California Department of Fish and Game,
Sonoma County  Grape  Growers Association and several
Foundations and local school  districts. CRP will continue to
further  the original project into the future  through  its strong
network of partners.
             A         A        A
Five Star  Project
Results
      Since 1999, nearly 400 projects (out of 1,500
      applications) were funded in 50 states, DC,
      Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
      $4.13 million leveraged by an additional $25
      million in project contributions
      Results (from 174 completed projects)
      - Over 10,000 acres of wetlands managed
      or restored
      - Almost 90 miles of stream banks restored
      Over 18,000 community volunteers engaged
                                                                  n River Watershed Five Star Grant has allowed
                                                                  I students to participate  in real world research
                                                        projects in their own backyards.  The year-long watershed
                                                        science course provided students with invaluable environ-
                                                        mental and citizenship education, and instilled  in  them a
                                                        personal  land ethic and sense  of  stewardship for their
                                                        watershed."

                                                                                              —Sean McNeil
                                                                        Manager,Watershed Science Education
                                                                                        & Outreach Program
                                                                                 Circuit  Rider  Productions, Inc.,
                                                                                   Sonoma County, California

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 Benefits of wetlands
 restoration:
* One acre of wetland = estimated value between
  $150,0004200,000 for multiple functions and
  values.
* Public Safety
  • Flood Control- One acre of wetland can store 1
    to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater.
  • Coastal Protection- Coastal wetlands buffer
    communities against hurricanes and tropical
    storms.
* Habitat and Industry Benefits- Endangered and
  commercial species depend on wetlands. The
  fishing industry alone is a multibillion dollar
  industry.
* Improved Watershed Water Quality- Wetlands
  naturally filter pollutants and sediments.
* Increased Quality of Life and Property Value-
  Wetlands increase the economic and aesthetic
  value of communities. For example, $18 billion
  in economic activity is generated annually by
  coastal wetland-dependent recreational fishing.

          t- a-j^" • f
          '•rfe^i
  Corporate partner, BP, created a 16-acr
  land inside its facility with the help of organi-
  zations and volunteers from their Decatur,
  Alabama community.
                                            Corporate &
                                            Foundation
                                            Sponsorship
                                            Opportunities
The Five Star Restoration Program provides a unique
opportunity for foundations, corporations and other groups
to build stronger community ties by co-funding restoration
projects.

Sponsorship Benefits:
   *  Program sponsors gain the satisfaction of helping
       communities improve open spaces, educate students,
       train youth and build long-term partnerships that will
       sustain these initiatives
   *  Opportunities for corporate sponsors to engage their
       employees in volunteer projects
   *  A moderate contribution (as little as $5,000) will
       produce measurable results through the leveraging of
       project partnerships
   *  Projects attract attention from community leaders
       and news outlets because of the program's national
       recognition and the involvement of diverse local
       community partners

Current Sponsor:
   *  Southern Company-
       • Five Star's Newest Corporate Sponsor
       • Southern Region Lead Sponsor
       • Contributing $200,000 annually
       • Sponsorship commitment is from 2006-2010
        in Southern Company's Service Area

How to participate as a project or program sponsor?
   *  Contact the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
       for a ranked list of qualified applicants seeking
       financial support
   *  Or work directly with your community to develop a
       Five Star project proposal
       STAR
       RESTORATION PROGRAM

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    The  Five  Star  Program   Partners
    National Fish  and Wildlife  Foundation  is  the  only
    congressionally mandated foundation that works toward the
    conservation offish, wildlife, plants and the habitat on which
    they depend. The Foundation is the managing partner of the
    Five-Star Program.
    Web site: ~www.njwf.org.

    National Association of Counties (NACo)  is  the  only
    national  organization that represents county governments
    in the United States. More than 2,000 counties representing
    more than 80 per cent of the nation's population are members
    of NACo. NACo provides members with legislative, research,
    technical assistance and public affairs services.
    Web site: www.naco.org.

    The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of
    Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds believes local citizens play
    an important role in achieving a community's water quality
    goals. EPA provides technical and financial assistance and
    develops regulations and guidance to help  communities to
    meet their watershed challenges.
    Web site: www.epa.gov/owow.
                          The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) is a nonprofit, non-
                          lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and
                          amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public
                          lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with
                          corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that
                          balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements
                          of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment.
                          Web site: www.wildlifehc.org.

                          Southern Company is the Southeast's premier super-regional
                          energy company. Along with its five  operating companies
                          - Alabama Power, Georgia  Power,  Gulf Power,  Mississippi
                          Power, and Savannah Electric - Southern Company works to
                          provide reliable and affordable energy  for the people across
                          our region. We are committed to doing  our part in making
                          sure the Southeast continues to be a great and environmentally
                          healthy place to live, now and for future generations.
                          Web site: www.southerncompany.com/planetpower.
          Erik Johnston
The National Association of Counties
    440 First Street, NW Suite 800
       Washington, DC 20001
          (202) 942-4246
    E-mail: ejohnston@naco.org
          Matthew Hurley
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 900
       Washington, DC 20036
          (202) 857-0166
   E-mail: matthew.hurleyfci'nfwf.org
         Otto Loggers
    Wildlife Habitat Council
   8737 Colesville Rd., Suite 800
     Silver Spring, MD 20910
         (301)588-8994
  E-mail: ologgers@wildlifehc.org
          Mvra Price
USEPA Wetlands Division (4502T)
       Ariel Rios Building
  1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
     Washington, DC 20460
         (202) 566-1382
   E-mail: price.myra@epa.gov
        EPA Wetlands Information Helpline:
                 1-800-832-7828
             EPA Five Star Web site:
       www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/
Special thanks the following individuals and organizations for
contributing to this brochure:
     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided funding
     The EPA's fact sheets provided details for the Benefits section
     Cover photo courtesy of the National Aquarium in Baltimore
     Five Star Grantees supplied photos and quotes
     Research and writing by Erik Johnston of NACo, Matthew Hurley
     of NFWF and Sarah Masengarb of NFWF; editing by Myra Price of
     EPA, Abigail Friedman of NACo, Tamika Hodnett of WHC and Tom
     Kelsch of NFWF
     Graphic design and layout by Sonia Chu of NACo
     The opinions in this publication are those of the contributors, and do
     not necessarily reflect the views of the EPA, NACo, NFWF, WHC or
     Southern Company.

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