Restore America's Estuaries (RAE) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization dedicated to preserving the nation's network of estuaries through coastal protection and restoration projects which promote the richness and diversity of coastal life. Based in Arlington, VA with staff in Seattle, Colorado, and Florida, Restore America's Estuaries is an alliance of eleven community-based coastal conservation organizations that includes the American Littoral Society (ALS), Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF), North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF), Save The Bay – San Francisco (STB-SF), EarthCorps, Save The Bay – Narragansett Bay (STB-NB), Save the Sound (STS) - a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and Tampa Bay Watch (TBW).
Restore America's Estuaries works with community, private, and governmental organizations at the national, state, and local level to build partnerships and secure resources to restore and preserve estuarine habitats. Its sphere of work includes supporting on-the-ground community-based restoration projects, creating tools and resources to guide the restoration process, and, engaging and uniting key stakeholders in a biennial national conference and through outreach efforts.
Since its creation in 1994, RAE and its members have restored more than of coastal habitat, yielding countless benefits to vital food supplies, human health, job creation, and quality of life. This work has been accomplished by raising and leveraging more than $25 million in funding for habitat restoration, resulting in the completion of more than 800 local restoration projects throughout the U.S. In addition, over 300,000 volunteers have contributed toward the restoration effort.
History
In 1994, Pew Charitable Trusts conceived an initiative that would link coastal organizations across the United States and work on the national level to further empower them at the local level. Eight existing coastal organizations (ALS, CLF, CBF, CRCL, NCCF, PFPS, STB-SF, STB-NB) were invited to attend a meeting in Philadelphia. The group decided that on-the-ground habitat restoration of coasts and estuaries would be the most effective focus on which to work together. Soon after, these eight non-profit organizations, along with GBF, created Restore America's Estuaries. In 1997, two more organizations, TBW and STS, joined.
Restore America's Estuaries operated from the American Littoral Society offices until December 14, 1999, when it became incorporated. In June 2000, the IRS granted Restore America's Estuaries 501(c)(3) status.
Timeline of RAE history
Member organizations
Eleven coastal conservation organizations located across America's coastlines make up Restore America's Estuaries. They are the primary partners and recipients of support from the organization. The Executive Director, President, or a Vice President from each organization sits on the Restore America's Estuaries' Board of Directors. American Littoral Society Chesapeake Bay Foundation Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Conservation Law Foundation Galveston Bay Foundation North Carolina Coastal Federation Save The Bay - Narragansett Bay Save The Bay - San Francisco Save the Sound - a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment Tampa Bay Watch EarthCorps
Community-based restoration
Restore America's Estuaries engages in projects involving government, corporate, and non-governmental stakeholders at all levels to facilitate the process of coastal restoration. Community-based restoration projects represent Restore America's Estuaries' commitment to working with local stakeholders and volunteers. These efforts implement on-the-ground restoration projects that rely on community volunteerism and scientific design. Projects include planting salt marsh grasses, removing invasive species, stabilizing stream banks, growing and distributing shellfish, and installing oyster reef substrate in coastal habitats such as Coastal Louisiana, Chesapeake Bay, North Carolina and East Bay, Texas.