The Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) aims to implement an ecosystem-based approach to understand, conserve, and restore the Columbia River Estuary, using science-based strategies and adaptive management to achieve measurable outcomes.

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Expert Regional Technical Group

Providing independent expert guidance to aid restoration strategy

Meet the Expert Regional Technical Group

The Expert Regional Technical Group (ERTG) is a team of regional experts in restoration ecology, fish biology, geomorphology, wetland ecology, and more that use the best available science and first-hand experience to provide technical input on potential restoration actions in the Columbia River Estuary floodplain. The ERTG independently assesses potential benefits of proposed tidal wetland restoration projects for juvenile salmon, synthesizes new data and information to establish technical guidance, and helps identify and clarify technical uncertainties. This advisory group provides independent expert guidance to inform program strategy and project planning, and the design of project sites to effectively restore marshes and forested wetlands.

At the direction of CEERP managers, proposed CEERP restoration projects are evaluated by the ERTG to assist in prioritization. The group also conducts periodic revisits to evaluate restoration site development following construction. The potential benefits for juvenile salmon attributed to each proposed project are based on its anticipated contributions to rearing/nursery functions and habitat quality. The ERTG also evaluates a project’s potential importance at the landscape scale. Soon, the ERTG plans to develop pre-project evaluation criteria addressing long-term resilience — check out the recent ERTG work product on Climate Resiliency in the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program.

The ERTG provides technical assessments and feedback on proposed restoration projects, helping ensure that programmatic expenditures are scientifically sound and effective.

The ERTG Review Process

Proposal

The program’s five restoration sponsors may propose projects in the Columbia River Estuary for review by the ERTG. This includes filling out a project template, developing a presentation, and coordinating a site visit. This typically happens at about 30 percent design for an ERTG preliminary score. A subsequent template update and presentation occurs later in the design process and then the proposal receives an ERTG final score.

Review

ERTG members score proposals based on expected project benefits to salmonids including improved habitat access and quality. The ERTG also evaluates the project’s certainty of success and contributions at the landscape scale.

Implementation

Restoration activities are implemented by specialized restoration sponsors and engineers in collaboration with funding agencies.

Monitoring

Restoration actions are monitored as part of the Action Effectiveness Monitoring and Research program under CEERP. Project sponsors typically monitor their sites to assess whether ecological goals are realized. Often, project sponsors present early outcomes to ERTG during an annual review meeting and provide lessons learned to inform the program’s Restoration and Monitoring Plans.

Revisits

Once sites have evolved over a few years with monitoring data being collected, some habitat restoration projects are selected for ERTG revisits. The revisit process includes project sponsors providing a report on how the project is performing based on observations and empirical data. The sponsors are asked to reflect on the project and share any lessons learned from implementation and outcomes. The ERTG then scores the site after construction to close the adaptive management loop for both project delivery and the ERTG scoring process.

ERTG members conduct a site visit at Woodland Island following project implementation (Photo by Mark Bierman | US Army Corps of Engineers)

This group has developed several documents to help guide restoration and research in the Columbia River Estuary, including several reports and documents of relevance:

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