NOAA’s Restoration Center recognizes that habitat protection and restoration are essential elements of a strategy for sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries. Investing in habitat restoration projects leads to real, lasting differences for communities, businesses, and the environment. The Community-based Restoration Program supports restoration projects that use a habitat-based approach to rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery and conservation of protected resources, promote healthy ecosystems, and yield community and economic benefits.

Projects range from improving access to habitat by removing dams and other barriers, to restoring coral and oyster reefs, to rebuilding coastal wetlands. The program often helps implement priority habitat restoration actions identified in recovery plans for threatened and endangered species.