NJ Restoration Tool Organization Suite (ResTOrS)
A diverse coalition of state agency, non-governmental organization and academic partners has been collaborating on the development of a Coastal Ecological Restoration and Adaptation Plan (CERAP) for New Jersey’s coastal marshes, estuaries and back-bays. To support this effort, this same coalition has been building the NJ Restoration Tool Organization Suite (NJResTOrS) to provide a more seamless integration of web-based decision support tools so that users can work directly from project scoping through evaluation. The NResTOrS work flow proceeds from the statewide perspective of the CERAP tool to a landscape scale evaluation of the marsh landscape with the Marsh Explorer and Living Shorelines Explorer tools to more detailed site level assessment and guidance provided by the Wetlands Assessment Tool for Condition & Health (WATCH) and the Living Shoreline Feasibility Model (LSFM).
NJResTOrS is one component of a larger strategy to equip coastal municipal planners and non-profit partners with the resources to plan, coordinate and implement coastal restoration projects that support community resilience, ecosystem health and carbon sequestration.
NJ ResTOrS Work Flow
1. Location Identification
1. Coastal Ecological Restoration and Adaptation Planning (CERAP) Explorer
The NJ Coastal Ecological Restoration and Adaptation Planning (CERAP) tool’s goal is to identify areas and projects for future ecological projects that have value in increasing community resilience, ecosystem health, and carbon sequestration.
2. Issue Identification
2a. Marsh Explorer
The Marsh Explorer includes maps of hydrological alterations and condition metrics related to marsh health and long-term status under continued sea level rise.
2b. Wetlands Assessment Tool for Condition & Health (WATCH)
The goal of WATCH is to provide a method to evaluate the condition and trajectory of a tidal wetland site to inform decision-making, restoration project prioritization, and the selection of restoration tactics.
3. Restoration Approach
3a. Living Shorelines Explorer
If marsh edge erosion has been identified as an issue in the Marsh Explorer or WATCH tools, then the next step may be to employ the Living Shorelines tool to help determine the most appropriate nature-based solutions for selected locations.
3b. Marsh Futures Mapper
Landscape evaluation, single/multiple tactic evaluation, faunal considerations, and ESS intervention type.
3c. Feasibility Model
The Living Shoreline Feasibility Model (LSFM) is an integrative tool that evaluates a suite of metrics to assess considerations involved in constructing and maintaining a living shoreline at a specific location.