Synopses & Reviews
Concern over climate change and the ongoing challenges of managing natural lands have made the field of ecological restoration a growing focus in the agendas of national and international conservation organizations, including the United Nations. The problems facing us are both complex and urgent—and effective solutions are vital. Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration presents principles of sound planning and management that will greatly increase the likelihood that projects will be successful. John Rieger, John Stanley, and Ray Traynor have been involved in restoration activities for nearly thirty years, inventing and adapting techniques as well as developing and applying methods as they broke ground for this new field. Rieger and Stanley were part of the small group who, recognizing the need for a professional organization, helped to found the Society for Ecological Restoration in 1987. This book comes out of their experience of doing restoration, through trial and error, setting goals and methodology, and learning what works.The authors focus on process, planning, design, implementation, and management rather than science. They describe a simple project management plan, identify the design approaches and the commitments that decisions require, and explain how design theory is translated to on-the-ground project design. The book includes numerous illustrations, as well as a series of checklists and tables to help restorationists recognize and then correct problems that may arise. The goal of Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration is to provide a straightforward framework for developing and executing an ecological restoration project that has the highest potential of being successful. Professionals and practitioners can apply the guidelines offered by the authors to the wide variety of situations and locations where restoration is happening. Long overdue, this book will inform and advance the effective practice of this promising field.
Review
"I have seen many well-meaning restoration projects fail due to poor planning, but that need never happen again. The authors lend over a century of combined experience in ecological restoration design at a variety of scales to describe the detailed analysis and planning process necessary for successful project design, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation."
Review
"This sorely needed book presents a comprehensive view of restoration project management from a biological perspective. It will be especially useful to those now entering the field of ecological restoration as practitioners. I wish I had this book when I began my career as a practicing restorationist."
Review
"Whether you are a restoration practitioner, student or researcher, this is a necessary handbook of guidelines for all aspects of restoration and management. Nonspecialists and ecologists alike can readily take in the complexities of planning, risk management, and goal setting for regenerating ecosystems. Case studies and flow diagrams are presented to bring the world of planning to life."
Review
"Adding to an already rich series on ecological restoration texts, Island Press delivers this book chock-filled with over 100 years of accumulated knowledge and on-the-ground experiences by three luminaries in the field of ecological restoration. With a focus on project management Rieger, Stanley, and Traynor effectively bring the philosophical, ecological, and social aspects of ecological restoration to a practical reality. Students, practitioners, and, yes, even philosophers stand to benefit from reading this book."
Review
andquot;This is an excellent text for anyone interested in ecological restoration.andquot;
Synopsis
Planning and implementing an ecological restoration project successfully and within budget can be more difficult than it sounds. From the smallest project to large, complex endeavors, the devil is in the details, and even experienced restorationists can be tripped up by inaccurate estimations, unexamined assumptions, and just plain bad luck. Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration is a long-awaited guidebook from restoration pioneers John Rieger, John Stanley, and Ray Traynor. Packed with practical advice based on their years spent in the field learning what works and what doesn’t, this book walks practitioners through all phases of a successful restoration project from planning to aftercare. The text is accompanied by photos and figures illustrating presented concepts, and a substantial appendix section provides worksheets, checklists, Gantt charts, and other planning tools for readers to use or modify for their own projects. Restoration professionals, volunteers, landowners, and anyone involved in on-the-ground projects to restore ecological function to a piece of land will find this book to be an invaluable guide. It offers sound management principles to successfully restore landscapes in a way that will satisfy stakeholders, whose objectives can sometimes be at odds.
Synopsis
Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration addresses a problem that is the reason many current restoration projects are not as effective or successful as they could be: a lack of understanding of the principles of sound planning and management. John Rieger, John Stanley, and Ray Traynor, who collectively have decades of experience implementing successful restoration projects, provide a straightforward framework for developing and executing an ecological restoration project in order to maximize its potential for success.
The authors focus on process, planning, design, implementation, and management rather than science. They describe a simple project management plan, identify the design approaches and the commitments that decisions require, and explain how design theory is translated to on-the-ground project design. The book includes numerous illustrations, as well as a series of checklists and tables to help restorationists recognize and then correct problems that may arise.
About the Author
John Rieger is a long-time practicing restoration ecologist, and cofounder and first president of the Society for Ecological Restoration. For the past thirty years he has actively promoted restoration throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
John Stanley is a cofounder of the Society for Ecological Restoration and a restoration ecologist with WWW Restoration, a consulting firm specializing in the protection, restoration, and management of watersheds, waterways, and wetlands.
Ray Traynor, with a background in landscape architecture and project management, is vice president and general manager of Axiom Xcell.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
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PART I. Project Planning
Introduction to Part I
Chapter 1. Framework for Ecological Restoration
Chapter 2. Restoration Project Management
Chapter 3. Defining Your Project
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PART II. Project Design
Introduction to Part II
Chapter 4. Site Analysis
Chapter 5. Design Approach
Chapter 6. Design
Chapter 7. Water and Soil
Chapter 8. Plant Material
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PART III. Project Implementation
Introduction to Part III
Chapter 9. Restoration Project Documents
Chapter 10. Construction and Installation
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PART IV. Project Aftercare
Introduction to Part IV
Chapter 11. Maintenance and Stewardship
Chapter 12. Weed Management and Invasive Species Control
Chapter 13. Monitoring and Evaluation
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PARTand#160;V. Synthesis of the Process
Introduction to Part V
Chapter 14. Bring It All Together
Chapter 15. Summary of Project Planning and Management Principles
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Appendix 1: Gantt Chart Primer
Appendix 2: Project Cost Estimate Worksheet
Appendix 3: Risk Management in Restoration Projects
Appendix 4: Project Evaluation and Review Technique
Appendix 5: Site Analysis Checklist
Appendix 6: Seed and Plant Calculation Exercise
Appendix 7: Plant and Planting Specification
Appendix 8: Plan Review Checklist
Appendix 9: Permitting Table
Appendix 10: Completed Site Analysis Checklist
Glossary References Cited
About the Authors
Index