About Us
Restore America’s Estuaries is dedicated to the protection and restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation.
Restore America’s Estuaries is dedicated to the protection and restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources our nation.
RAE, its member organizations, its affiliate members and grantees collaborate to protect and restore coastal habitats nationwide for the benefit of all people. We have unmatched national reach and effectiveness; our projects restore coastal wetlands, open fish passages, remove invasive species, build living shorelines, transplant seagrasses, replant salt marshes, and restore shellfish habitat.
RAE advances the science and practice of habitat restoration through on-the-ground projects, high-level meetings, national issues advocacy and our biennial National Coastal and Estuarine Summit.
Through collaboration RAE works to provide a unified voice for coastal conservation and coastal communities...
Accomplishments and Future Goals
Through extensive projects and community events, Restore America’s Estuaries has effectively changed the future course of our nation’s estuaries. We have advanced, funded, and implemented on-the-ground restoration projects on a national basis, and addressed emerging issues, including climate change, nature-based solutions, blue carbon and estuary economics. Together with our member organizations, affiliate members, grantees and partners we work to unite the coastal restoration community, key government decision-makers, and citizens behind coastal and estuarine habitat restoration issues. In the future, we plan to continue these widespread conservation efforts to preserve our nation’s estuarine habitats for the enjoyment of future generations to come.
2024 was a year of growth and significant milestones for Restore America’s Estuaries. We hosted our 12th Coastal & Estuarine Summit, we expanded our grant program to restore and protect more of our coasts than ever before, and we forged new partnerships with federal partners. These achievements and many more could not have been done without the hard work of RAE’s incredible staff, our network of members, partners, and funders, and the support of professionals and communities across the country working with us to make our coasts safer, more inclusive, and healthier.
As the hosts of the 2024 Coastal & Estuarine Summit, RAE was proud to bring together a wide range of passionate experts for five days full of sessions, workshops, lunch programming, field sessions, and networking opportunities. This year’s Summit asked us to “Capitalize on Our Coasts” in order to solve some of the most pressing issues facing coastal and estuarine communities while reminding us that these ecosystems are also economic engines that can offer much in return if they remain healthy.
In addition to the over 1,100 professional that participated in the Summit, we were also honored to have received support from more than 55 sponsors and exhibitors which allowed us to grow the agenda to include more than 600 presenters and more than 100 sessions. The Summit also hosted more than 120 poster presenters and with the help of our sponsors we were able to provide financial support for more than 25 early career professionals and representative communities to attend.
RAE continues to grow by partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate a new grant program: the Great Lakes Grant Program. This program marks the largest investment in RAE’s history for the Great Lakes Region and expands the benefits of healthy estuaries and coasts. In the Long Island region, the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund announced the first-ever round of grants in the program’s history, bringing all communities in Connecticut and New York closer to their water.
As the challenges we faced this year will continue to grow and change, so too must we adapt our strategies for protecting our coasts and the people who live there. In addition to encouraging a greater focus and investment in coastal restoration to mitigate storm damage, RAE also envisions a more inclusive environment where resources and funding are more equitably distributed to protect and support all members of the coastal community.
2024 has been a year of growth for Restore America’s Estuaries. All of us at RAE look forward to carrying that momentum into 2025 and beyond. With our newest federal grant program, connections forged at our biennial Coastal & Estuarine Summit, the passage of vital legislation, and the continued support of the coastal conservation networks, RAE is excited to advance thriving coasts and thriving coastal communities in 2025.
Sincerely,
Daniel Hayden
President & CEO
Restore America’s Estuaries
Non Discrimination Policy
Restore America’s Estuaries does not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, creed, religion, color, personal appearance, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity marital status, parental status, family responsibilities, the presence of any sensory, physical, or mental disability, matriculation, membership in any labor organization, lawful source of income, political affiliation, or political ideology, in the administration of its programs or activities.
Restore America’s Estuaries does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in actions protected, or oppose action prohibited, by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and Part 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights.
If you have any questions about this notice or any of Restore America’s Estuaries’ non-discrimination programs, policies, or procedures, you may contact our Business and Finance Manager or reach us by mail at:
Restore America’s Estuaries
601 13 St NW
12th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
If you believe that you have been discriminated against, you may contact the Business and Finance Manager as identified above or follow the below reporting instructions:
RAE encourages complaints, reports, or inquiries about illegal practices or serious violations of RAE policies, including illegal or improper conduct by RAE itself, by its leadership, or by others on its behalf. Accusations of retaliation for reporting harassment or other improper behavior also fall into this policy, as do complaints of discrimination. Complaints, reports, or inquiries may be made under this policy on a confidential or anonymous basis and should describe in detail the specific facts demonstrating the basis for the complaints, reports, or inquiries. They should be directed to the RAE President or Chair of the Board of Directors via writing at RAE@estuaries.org or phone at (703) 524-0248. If both of those persons are implicated in the complaint, report, or inquiry, relevant information should be directed to the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors via the same communication methods. RAE will conduct a prompt, discreet, and objective review or investigation.
