CREST proposes to continue to implement estuary habitat restoration projects during this contract period.  Projects developed, designed, and permitted during previous contract periods will move to construction.  CREST will continue to develop and design new restoration projects working with landowners, stakeholders, and subcontracted design and engineering consultants.    CREST will continue to invest staff time in community outreach and project development including participating in regional meetings with BPA, the Corps, as well as partner coordination forums such as the Estuary Partnership Science Work Group.  CREST biologists will conduct Level 3 pre and post project evaluation at our restoration sites in coordination with partners and the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP).  

Restoration of estuary habitat focuses on habitat opportunity, capacity, and realized function critical to the recovery of Threatened/Endangered salmon utilizing the Columbia River Estuary.  CREST Habitat Restoration Program Deliverables include:
1)  Identification, prioritization, and development of potential estuary habitat restoration projects.
2)  Scoping and selecting restoration projects based on technical evaluation during feasibility stage and scientific review by Estuary Partnership Project Review Committee and partners.
3)  Design, permit, and implement 3-5 on the ground estuarine restoration projects each year.
4)  Conduct Action Effectiveness Monitoring and Research of restoration projects in coordination with regional partners.

The following projects are currently in full design, engineering, and permitting and will move to construction in 2013:
• North Unit Sauvie Island Phase 1.  This project, at ODFW managed property on Sauvie Island, aims to enhance several hundred acres of tidal wetlands.  Phase 1 focuses on the removal of a water control structure and enhancing 123 acres of estuarine emergent wetlands associated with Ruby Lake.
• Sharnelle Fee.  This project on the tidal Klaskanine River in Youngs Bay will reconnect 46 acres of wetlands to full tidal influence by levee breaching.  CREST completed the construction of a setback levee in 2012 to isolate the restoration area from neighboring properties.  In 2013 restoration actions will focus on removing levee segments and enhancing wetland conditions.  
• Gnat Creek Phase 2.  This project enhances tidal wetlands of Gnat Creek on private land through strategic dike breaching.  The project will fully restore tidal inundation and fish passage to 70 acres of rearing habitat.  Construction funding will be provided through the Estuary Partnership with project management and compliance support by CREST.

The following projects are currently in design, engineering, and permitting phases and will move to construction in 2014:
• North Unit Sauvie Island Phase 2.  Restoration actions for Phase 2 will build on the Phase 1 work to enhance 72 acres of wetland at Deep-Widgeon Lake and 66 acres at Millionaire Lake.  This phase also involves removing water control structures and enhancing internal wetlands to restore full tidal inundation to the restoration area.
• Karlson Island.  Karlson Island restoration involves breaching / removing levee to restore fish access and natural estuarine processes to a 320 wetland within the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.
• Warrenton 8th Street Dam.  Removal of the 8th Street Dam in Warrenton will restore juvenile rearing habitat to the tidal portions of the Skipanon River.  Several river miles will positively benefit from dam removal and restore free flowing tidal processes to 320 acres.

Each of the projects described here provides immediate access to estuarine habitats for juvenile salmonids.  CREST will also invest project manager staff time working with specific landowners, project partners, and in data gathering and investigations at other sites including Buckmire Slough, Bear, Mary’s, and Ferris Creeks, and upper Lewis and Clark River, restoration sites.  CREST will pursue cost share for project engineering and construction during this contract period from the National Park Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership.  
Within this contract, major work elements are directly related to implementation of previously designed projects and on engineering and permitting for out year projects.  Additional actions focus on community outreach and project development.  

Projects in development will be subject to review and assignment of survival benefits by an Action Agency subcommittee, Estuary Partnership Science Work Group, and the Expert Regional Technical Group.  All projects in the estuary are also subject to cost benefit analysis and approval by BPA.  Each of the projects CREST is proposing during this contract undergo a cost / SBU preliminary review and final scoring by ERTG.  If at any time during the scientific review and ERTG process it is determined that proposed restoration projects do not meet costs / SBU CREST will work with BPA to address costs / SBU issues and shift effort to projects that meet BPA’s cost / SBU threshold.

Pre and Post project evaluation will be conducted by CREST biologists at Ft. Columbia, Otter Point, Gnat Creek, South Tongue Point, Diblee Point, Sharnelle Fee, Karlson Island, Sauvie Island and other restoration sites to better quantify use and habitat lift for individual restoration sites and to inform benefits of restoration actions at projects in development.