A framework for establishing restoration goals for contaminated ecosystems

Anne M Wagner, Diane L Larson, Julie A DalSoglio, James A Harris, Paul Labus, Emma J Rosi-Marshall, Kristin E Skrabis

As natural resources become increasingly limited, the value of restoring contaminated sites, both terrestrial and aquatic, becomes increasingly apparent. Traditionally, goals for remediation have been set prior to any consideration of goals for ecological restoration. The goals for remediation have focused on removing or limiting contamination while restoration goals have targeted the ultimate end use. Here, we present a framework for developing a comprehensive set of achievable goals for ecological restoration of contaminated sites to be used in concert with determining goals for remediation. This framework was developed during a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Society of Ecological Restoration co-sponsored workshop that brought together experts from multiple countries. While most members were from North America, this framework is designed for use internationally. We discuss the integration of establishing goals for both contaminant remediation and overall restoration, and the need to include both the restoration of ecological and socio-cultural-economic value in the context of contaminated sites. While recognizing that in some countries there may be regulatory issues associated with contaminants and clean-up, landscape setting and social drivers can inform the restoration goals. We provide a decision tree support tool to guide the establishment of restoration goals for contaminated ecosystems. The overall intent of this decision tree is to provide a framework for goal setting and to identify outcomes achievable given the contamination present at a site. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.