Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDA)

The NRDA seeks to determine ways to restore natural resources (fish, wildlife, land, water, etc.) that have been injured by hazardous substances. Injuries may include death or destruction of natural resources, and the loss of resource availability to the public that can occur when fish and wildlife become too contaminated to eat safely. The parties responsible for contamination and injuries must compensate the public for the losses and help restore the natural resources through funding or direct action.

As part of the Fox River cleanup project, several of the companies identified as historically responsible for the release of PCBs into the Fox River have made NRDA agreements to fund a number of natural resource restoration projects in the Fox River Valley and surrounding areas. These projects range from preserving habitat for wildlife to constructing environmental education centers and nature trails to studying the feasibility of reintroducing wild rice in certain areas of the state.

For more information and background, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service´s Lower Fox River/Green Bay NRDA [exit DNR] Web site. You can also get more information by visiting the Restoration Projects and Trustee Council sections of this Web page.