Ecological restoration planning for large sites: Assessment and planning for the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Background/Question/Methods

Ecological assessment and planning is the first step toward efficient ecosystem restoration. In 2005, the Friends of the Heinz Refuge were awarded funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Estuary Grant Program to develop a restoration plan for the lower reaches of Darby Creek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The primary focus of this effort was the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge contained a diverse mix of ecosystems including freshwater tidal wetlands, non-tidal wetlands, riparian forests, open meadows, a large tidal river, and open water impoundment.

Results/Conclusions The resulting Restoration Management Plan for the Lower Darby Creek was completed in May 2006. The integrated planning effort combined historical research, aerial photo review, map analysis, personal interviews, stakeholder feedback, field research, and data management. The methods and results of this project provide a case study for other restoration planning efforts for large and diverse sites. The planning process will also be discussed in an article to be published later this year in the Journal Ecological Restoration.