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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