The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF) utilized over 25 million funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support projects that increase local employment, support forest restoration and fire mitigation, and boost local economy. Projects included forest restoration and fuels reduction, recreation and related road improvements, forest fire rehabilitation efforts, and greenhouse construction on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

An eelgrass restoration program implemented by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries aimed to mitigate assumed impacts to marine resources resulting from the HubLine gas pipeline construction which transits the Harbor. The restoration was intended to provide important shallow-water eelgrass habitat to juvenile crustaceans, shellfish, and finfish which commonly inhabit sea grass meadows.

Reef balls and oyster shells were used to create 1.02 miles of oyster reef off the coast of Coffee Island, in Portersville Bay, Alabama. These reefs reduced erosion, enhanced biodiversity, created jobs and improved local fisheries. This also created 20 acres of seagrass and marsh habitat, further protecting the shoreline. 

The Dolores River Restoration Partnership, Escalante River Watershed Partnership, Gila Watershed Partnership, Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition, and Virgin River Coalition formed a partnership to restore riparian lands across the Colorado River basin. These organizations work to control invasive species, improve terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and reduce erosion. 

The Carson National Forest (CNF) is at risk for high-intensity wildfires. Mimicking the Acequias traditional water-management system, the Cerro Negro Forest Council (CNFC) created forest mayordomos, or local managers who are a a pillar with local knowledge and heritage to serve the community within the Pueblo and Hispanic communities of northern New Mexico.  

The Fowl Meadow Purple Loosestrife Biological Control Project is a five-year collaborative wetland restoration project in the Neponset River Watershed, Massachusetts. The project uses Galerucella calmariensis and G. pusilla beetles and larvae as a biological control agent to control and reduce the presence of exotic, invasive Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

The Nature Conservancy restored a 54-acre oyster reef in Matagorda Bay, Texas. This project successfully restored large, thriving oyster reefs that have enhanced biodiversity in the bay. This increase in biodiversity has improved recreational fishing opportunities and fishing-related tourism in the area. The increase in fishing at Half Moon Bay reef adds around $691,000 to Texas’ gross domestic product annually.  

The Lower Boulder Creek Floodplain was degraded by gravel mining. This creek’s natural stream geomorphology was restored by adding riffles, pools, and large woody debris. The creek was reconnected to its historic floodplain, creating vegetated seasonal wetlands, improving water quality, and reducing flash flood risk. 

The state of Florida is working to control invasive Burmese pythons to reduce their impact on native species in the Everglades National Park. This project aimed to identify effective techniques for detecting and removing Burmese pythons, controlling their spread, and educating local partners about their impacts.

The New England Cottontail Project is a restoration effort with the objective to restore the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) to their native habitats through the creation of young forest and captive breeding programs. Led by USFWS, young forests were created through tree/ shrub cutting, heavy-duty mowing/mulching, field mowing, forest harvesting, controlling invasive plants, and prescribed burning.

The Ohkay Owingeh riparian restoration project is a series of coordinated projects reaching back to the 1990s that now encompasses over 700 acres of restored ecological mosaic including wetlands, cottonwood gallery forest, grassland, shrub cover, open water, and dense emergent willow thicket that is ideal for bird habitat, particularly Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

The Karuk Tribe of California and the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests worked on developing a programmatic approach to watershed restoration in the Karuk Ancestral Territory, an area that was degraded by past mining, excessive logging, and road building activities.

Swift Tract is owned by the state of Alabama and managed by the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Oyster reef breakwaters were constructed in this area of rapidly eroding shoreline to slow erosion, enhance oyster settlement and overall biodiversity, and create local jobs. 

The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is an urban oasis for both wildlife and people. The Refuge aims to restore 530 acres of its land to native bosque (riparian woodlands) and upland habitat to support wildlife. The green spaces in the refuge offer communities opportunities for wildlife observation, photography, youth employment, and environmental education.