Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

Small sandy northwest beach with driftwood — Read restoring the environment after toxic contamination

Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) is a tool we and other natural resource trustees use to restore, recover, or protect natural resources and habitats affected by contamination. Restoration projects, such as shoreline or river habitat improvements, help fish and wildlife populations recover from contamination. More than 600 acres of habitat projects have been built due to Natural Resource Damage settlements with polluters.

What NRDAR does

NRDAR allows state and federal agencies and tribal governments to determine restoration to compensate for contaminant injuries to natural resources. Contamination can injure natural resources such as land, water, or sediment that provide habitat or other services. Contamination of land, water, or sediment can injure fish, birds, wildlife, and other biological resources.

State and federal resource agencies and tribal governments work together to determine damages and reach agreements with liable businesses, ports, and governments to restore the injured resources. Many NRDAR efforts have focused on restoring aquatic ecosystems. They create or improve habitats to benefit salmon and other aquatic life, and birds and wildlife dependent on the ecosystem. Restoration also benefits people who use natural resources as a source of food, recreation, and other enjoyment.

What are the results of NRDAR?

Typical restoration projects might include:

Creating or improving nearshore habitat such as wetlands, mudflats, and riparian buffers.
Improving river habitats and protecting floodplains.

NRDAR settlements have created or contributed to over 600 acres of habitat improvements and 275 acres of habitat acquired and protected. The map and table below show NRDAR restoration projects in Washington. Visit our NRDAR Trustee Council projects page to see a map and more details about those restoration projects.

Many Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration efforts are underway in Washington. Some efforts have completed restoration settlements, and some are still in process. Many NRDAR efforts are carried out by a Trustee Council of state and federal agencies and tribal governments that have natural resources injured by contamination. Natural resource damages due to spills to water are evaluated by our Spill Preparedness and Response program.