RAE's goal is to work to see one million acres of estuary habitat restored by the year 2010. A portion of this total will come from protection efforts that slow or halt habitat loss. Restoration activities in estuaries range from the simple to the complex. Restoration in the estuary is most effectively done by a community, incorporating the watershed river system and its effects on the estuary. Perhaps most importantly, projects are community-based, from design through implementation, to promote local stewardship.
Estuaries are often at the heart of local economies and traditions.
Although they need much more financial and technical assistance from federal, state, and local government than they are currently receiving, the people who live near estuaries are the ones who will restore them to health. The 11 community-based organizations that comprise Restore America's Estuaries are fighting to reclaim one million acres of estuary habitat by the year 2010.