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