The Comprehensive Restoration Plan provides shared vision and priorities for the federal, state, and local agencies, university and non-profit partners engaged in habitat conservation and restoration. Its implementation is supported by The Waters We Share, a collaborative effort developed by the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the US Army Corps of Engineers - New York District that helps ensure progress toward the Plan’s goals. This collaborative work includes the on-going sharing of knowledge and tracking of progress undertaken by HEP’s Restoration Work Group.
The Comprehensive Restoration Plan
Under the authorization of Congress in 1999, the US Army Corps of Engineers and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey facilitated the development of the Comprehensive Restoration Plan (CRP). It was created collaboratively by scientists, professionals, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and environmental advocates with the assistance of the Hudson River Foundation. The plan is a blueprint to protect those habitats that still exist and restore habitats that have been lost. Following a draft version in 2009, the final CRP was released in 2016. The Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study is advancing implementation a number of specific restoration projects.
Restoration under the CRP centers around 12 Target Ecosystem Characteristics, categories of restoration, in which measurable restoration goals were set for both 2020 and 2050. These targets represent what is desirable and achievable and focus on the specific habitat types, support structures, and public health and social values that are key to a healthy estuary.
