Chronology & Background

The Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP) is a first-of-its kind national public-private partnership combining private industry contributions with federal and state matching funds to restore the nation’s environmentally important wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems. Wetlands are vital to water supplies and ecological diversity.

• The CWRP began in Massachusetts in 1999 through the initiative of The Gillette Company, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Other partners in the state CWRP include non-profit environmental and community groups and academia.
• Corporate contributions generally leverage federal/state funds.
• Corporate contributions are held in Coastal America Foundation. Because the CWRP is designed to attract both large and small companies, contribution amounts are kept confidential.
• On January 21, 2000, U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) announced the expansion of the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership to the rest of New England under the coordination of Coastal America, a federal office representing 13 federal departments and agencies.
• Groundbreaking for the first CWRP restoration project took place on April 10, 2000 at the Sagamore Salt Marsh near the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts. Gillette is corporate sponsor of the 50-acre project, one of the largest saltmarsh restoration projects ever in New England. Since that time, over 125 projects have been supported by the CWRP.
• A press conference to announce the National Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership was held on May 25, 2000 in Washington, D.C. Duke Energy is the Corporate Chair, and the National Association of Manufacturers is National Corporate Sponsor of the program. Coastal America will coordinate the CWRP, which will help the federal government meet its goal of restoring wetlands and other aquatic habitats around the country. Other members of the CWRP Program Management Committee include: Battelle, ENSR, Duke energy - Gas Transmission, FMC Corporation, The Gillette Company, PSEG, The Nature Conservancy and Restore America’s Estuaries.
• To date, over 225 companies and over 125 NGOs have pledged millions of dollars in funds and in-kind services to the CWRP.
• Duke Energy’s subsidiary Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline is the state lead for the Maine CWRP. Northeast Utilities and Duracell are state leads in Connecticut. Environmental Science Services and Narragansett Electric Company are the state leads in Rhode Island. Jacques Whitford Company and Public Service New Hampshire are the leads in New Hampshire. Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) is the lead for the New Jersey. National Grid and HDR/LMS are the state leads for New York. BP Exploration and LGL are the leads in Alaska. Duke Energy - Gas Transmission and ENSR are the state leads for Texas. Dow Chemical is the state lead for California. Oldcastle and CH2M Hill are the state leads for Georgia. Conectiv is the state lead in Delaware. Smithfield Foods and Honeywell are the state leads in Virginia. Programs are being organized in other states and regions, including the Northwest region, Upper Mississippi River & Great Lakes region and the Pacific Islands region.
• An International CWRP was launched in March 2004, under the leadership of The Gillette Company, The Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Foundation. A Canadian CWRP is also in its formative stages.