a proposal for consideration: ser/ncer...

A Proposal for Consideration: SER/NCER Merger 19 July 2011

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of a proposed merger between the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and the

National Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) is to:

Provide NCER with an organizational framework (e.g., non-profit status, an office, staff, website, 12 established chapters, a scientific journal, publications, communication network, established brand name, etc.) to advance ecosystem restoration more effectively

Expand SER's capacity to more fully represent the full array of restoration practitioners;

Advance the science and practice of large scale ecosystem restoration more effectively across the United States and internationally;

Enhance SER’s and NCER’s capacity to support the community of ecosystem restoration practitioners, researchers and educators;

Strengthen a diverse coalition of science, engineering, and social science disciplines related to restoration and foster knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships;

Unite and strengthen the “voice” of the restoration community to more effectively facilitate policy changes, minimize duplication of efforts and maximize financial resources.

Enhance/strengthen capacity to advocate for policies and regulations that support ecological/ecosystem restoration

All attendees that registered for the 2009 NCER conference in Los Angeles or for the 2011 NCER Conference (Baltimore, MD) will receive a complementary SER membership at the 'Full' membership level.

After the six-month free membership trial, all of those wishing to continue membership would

need to renew their membership with SER (at whatever level they choose). SER invites NCER constituency to become actively involved in helping to shape the editorial

content of many of its publications (or to develop new ones), to incorporate issues associated with large-scale ecosystem restoration.

The Global Restoration Network (GRN) is becoming the central hub for ecological restoration – a

vital resource for policymakers, professionals and communities, whether researching options for habitat restoration, writing a project proposal, coordinating volunteers, or looking for educational programs and funding.

All members of SER in good standing are eligible to be nominated to a Board of Directors

position, including NCER constituency that become SER members.


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If so desired, SER would move to establish a guild or other entity to represent the NCER mission

and goals. Regardless of the entity, SER will work with NCER constituency to ensure that their focus area and particular interest in serving as a leading information transfer forum for large-scale ecosystem restoration programs, as well as related programs across the United States, is well supported.

SER, in consultation with NCER constituency leadership, will amend its bylaws and develop a

mutually acceptable brand name to accommodate an NCER guild or other entity.

Coincidently, both organizations are considering holding their respective conferences in the Upper Mid-west region in 2013. SER and NCER should work together over the course of the next two years to determine the sequence of national conferences following 2013.

SER is in the process of establishing the Society for Ecological Restoration Practitioners Institute

(SERPI), a 501(c)6 subsidiary of SER. To date, the Ad-hoc Committee has completed the first draft of certification program design, which is currently being vetted by committee members and outside consultants. SER welcomes NCER constituency participation in this process.

SER would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with NCER constituency to develop a

restoration practitioner publication. The time has arrived for a decision on which governance path to pursue for NCER. One option is

to “do nothing.” A second option would be for NCER to self organize and become some type of umbrella organization, which would scale up over time, in phases or stages. This second approach is more grass-roots oriented and will require our volunteer base to contribute an increased amount of time to make this a reality. This could take the form of creating a separate 501(c)(3) for NCER which would involve fund-raising. The third option would be to merge with SER. This option would involve collaboratively working on a merger structure.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. BACKGROUND

1.1 Growth of Ecological/Ecosystem Restoration 1.2 Purpose of Proposed Merger 1.3 Potential Advantages of the Merger 1.4 Potential Disadvantages of the Merger 1.5 Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Background 1.6 National Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) Background

II. MERGER PROPOSAL

2.1 SER Membership for NCER Constituency 2.2 NCER Representation on the SER Board of Directors 2.3 Creation of a Guild/Entity to Represent NCER Constituency 2.4 SER/NCER Conference Configuration, Structure & Management 2.5 SER Practitioners Institute and Certification for NCER Guild Members 2.6 Publication(s) Representing Large Scale Ecosystem Restoration 2.7 “Ecosystem vs. Ecological” – The Name Issue

III. PATH FORWARD

3.1 Options 3.2 Timeline

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Three Page Concept Paper for NCER Attachment B – NCER and SER September 2010 Meeting Attachment C – SER Membership Application Attachment D - CONNECT, DISCOVER AND GROW! Society for Ecological

Restoration Membership Benefits


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I. BACKGROUND

1.1 Growth of Ecological/Ecosystem Restoration "Biodiversity and ecosystems deliver crucial services to humankind – from food security to keeping our waters clean, buffering against extreme weather, providing medicines to recreation and adding to the foundation of human culture. Together these services have been estimated to be worth over 21–72 trillion USD every year – comparable to the World Gross National Income of 58 trillion USD in 2008. Human society is however living well beyond the carrying capacity of the planet and currently over 60% of ecosystem services and their biodiversity are degrading, compromising sustainability, well being, health and security. Environmental degradation is augmenting the impact of natural disasters such as floods, droughts and flash floods affecting 270 million people annually and killing some 124,000 people worldwide every year, 85% in Asia, and is, in some cases, even a primary cause of disasters. Degrading and polluted ecosystems are also a chief component in over 900 million lacking access to safe water. Poor management of activities on land and sea is further exacerbated by changing climatic conditions. In some scenarios loss of ecosystem services are depicted to result in up to 25% loss in the world’s food production by 2050 along with hunger and spread of poverty in many regions. Restoring degraded ecosystems is a key challenge. Ecological restoration is a critical component in the application of an ecosystem approach to management. It is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed."

DEAD PLANET, LIVING PLANET BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT

Christian Nellemann (Editor in chief) Emily Corcoran

Ecological restoration is one of the fastest growing fields within the environmental movement and has become a dominant activity for many land management agencies across the world. In the United States, for example, the federal government has enacted many large-scale ecosystem restoration programs over the last 20 years, along with a myriad of federal, state and local programs that include ecological restoration as its primary initiative. The support of these programs and passage of these acts is an indication of strong public support and growing need to restore ecosystems.

1.2 Purpose of Proposed Merger The purpose of a proposed merger between the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and the National Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) is to:

Provide NCER with an organizational framework (e.g., non-profit status, an office, staff, website, 12 established chapters, a scientific journal, publications, communication network, established brand name, etc.) to advance ecosystem restoration more effectively

Expand SER's capacity to more fully represent the full array of restoration practitioners;

Advance the science and practice of large scale ecosystem restoration more effectively across the United States and internationally;

Enhance SER’s and NCER’s capacity to support the community of ecosystem restoration practitioners, researchers and educators;


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Strengthen a diverse coalition of science, engineering, and social science disciplines related to restoration and foster knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships;

Unite and strengthen the “voice” of the restoration community to more effectively facilitate policy changes, minimize duplication of efforts and maximize financial resources.

Enhance/strengthen capacity to advocate for policies and regulations that support ecological/ecosystem restoration

1.3 Potential Advantages of the Merger

Why merge? Because merging NCER into SER would provide both groups a unified, more powerful and more effective voice in advancing the practice of ecological/ecosystem restoration. SER and NCER have common goals and objectives and are supported by a diverse group of individuals from a variety of disciplines. These groups have a common interest in advancing the science and practice of ecosystem restoration throughout the US and around the globe. The potential advantages of merging NCER into SER include the following:

NCER can focus its efforts to develop resources, technical tools and methodologies needed to advance the practice of ecological/ecosystem restoration

Strengthen our mutual capacity to share information

Broaden the network of restoration practitioners

Expand and strengthen inter-institutional partnership opportunities (e.g., public, private and non-profit sectors)

Improve capacity to bring ecological/ecosystem restoration to the forefront of the environmental agenda

Enrich/diversify the dialogue among restoration practitioners and scientists

Present a united front to promote restoration

Provides SER and NCER with a unified platform and a stronger voice

Assists NCER in formalizing its institutional presence

Clearly there are many advantages for NCER to join ranks with SER and for SER to broaden its reach and scope.

1.4 Potential Disadvantages of the Merger During the discussions about merging NCER and SER, the following potential disadvantages have surfaced:

Some participants of NCER did not agree that the SER Guild structure would be able to meet NCER needs.

Some participants are concerned that the name “Society of Ecological Restoration” did not accurately portray NCER’s work or mission. Proposed arguments regarding both sides of the requested name change are discussed within this proposal (Section 2.7) for your consideration.

There is a misconception that SER is a research-oriented society with a membership made up largely of academics/researchers focused on the “theory” of restoration ecology; whereas NCER


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participants are more diverse, interdisciplinary, and focused on the” implementation” of ecosystem restoration.

There is concern on the part of NCER that by becoming a guild of SER, NCER may impact its relationship with key federal sponsors. In addition, private consulting companies may be less inclined to sponsor a conference of a “guild” as opposed to “NCER” which is now considered a major event in the ecosystem restoration marketplace.

The NCER Governance Sub-Team has been extremely clear that “form must follow function.” Another option, instead of merging with SER, would be for NCER to become some type of umbrella organization, which would scale up over time, in phases or stages. This alternate approach is more grassroots oriented and would require NCER’s volunteer base to contribute an increased amount of time. This could take the form of creating a separate 501(c) (3) for NCER. It has been recommended to emulate the Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) model. RAE serves as an excellent model of what NCER might become. In addition to their biennial conference, they have a website, long-standing relationships with partners and on-going planned activities.

1.5 Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Background The global environment, and indeed life itself, faces unprecedented challenges. As world leaders struggle with 21st century realities such as climate change, biodiversity loss, unsustainable resource extraction, food and water security, and human poverty and conflict, they are increasingly turning to the restoration of ecosystems as a solution. For the last 23 years, the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) has been promoting ecological restoration as discipline that can provide practical solution to many of these environmental challenges. SER (www.ser.org) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to advancing the field of ecological restoration.

Vision1

Ecological restoration is widely and effectively implemented to successfully re-establish and enhance biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) fulfills its mission through its role as a leading global network that advances the science and practice of ecological restoration worldwide.

Mission

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) promotes ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture. Guiding Principles1

Knowledge and Practice Based - Successful ecological restoration requires the integration of science and practice. Science and other forms of knowledge are essential for designing, implementing and monitoring restoration projects and programs. At the same time, lessons learned from practical experiences are essential for determining and prioritizing the scientific needs of the field.


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Engaging and Collaborative - Ecological restoration is an inclusive process that embraces interrelationships between nature and culture, engages all sectors of society, and enables full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities.

Policy Relevant and Essential - Ecological restoration is essential for achieving biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, ecosystem service provisioning, connection of people with nature, socioeconomic development, and improvement of human well-being.

Locally Practiced with Global Implications - Ecological restoration takes place in all regions of the world, with local actions having regional and global benefits for nature and people.

(1 -This text is part of the proposed revision of SER’s Strategic Plan and has not yet been adopted by the SER Board.)

For the past 23 years the SER has given voice to the field of ecological restoration and has become known as the leader in this emerging discipline. Its members have helped develop solutions to the many challenges facing us in the new millennium. SER is a growing and dynamic global network that fosters the exchange of knowledge and expertise among ecological restoration practitioners and scientists from diverse disciplines. The Society brings together practitioners, academics, researchers, practitioners, legislators, tribal leaders, and regulators from a broad range of disciplines to define and deliver excellence in the field of ecological restoration. SER's membership is interdisciplinary and geographically diverse. It consists of individuals and organizations who are directly involved in the repair and management of ecosystems using a broad array of experience, knowledge, skill sets and cultural perspectives. SER has members in more than 50 countries with 12 established chapters with two more in the formation process.

US Chapters (year established) Worldwide Chapters (year established)

Central Rockies (1995) Coastal Plain (1995) Mid-Atlantic (2004) New England (2005) Northwest (1992) Mid-West Great Lakes (2009) Texas (1995) Great Basin (in development) Southwest (in development)

Australia (1999) British Columbia, Canada (1999) Europe (2001) Ontario, Canada (1994) Nepal (in development 2011)

In addition to communicating leading-edge technologies and new scientific findings, SER actively promotes best restoration practices around the world. The establishment of SER’s Executive Office in Washington, D.C. in 2010 positioned the Society for growth and allowed it to more fully integrate with other conservation and environmental organizations and collaborate with governmental agencies involved in restoration on public lands. The Society continues to increase its influence by establishing regional chapters, hosting biannual conferences, and advising international organizations with policy and legislation. SER also maintains active, online networks of restorationists, including the Global


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Restoration Network (GRN) and Indigenous Peoples’ Restoration Network (IPRN). The Society’s collection of publications includes Restoration Ecology, a peer-reviewed journal, The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration, a prolific book series published in collaboration with Island Press, as well as Ecological Restoration and Ecological Management & Restoration, two affiliated journals.

1.6 National Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) Background The first National Conference for Ecosystem Restoration was held in Orlando, FL in 2004. Since that time the biennial National Conference has been held in Kansas City, MO (2007) and Los Angeles, CA (2009). The next National Conference is scheduled for August 2011 in Baltimore, MD. The National Conference has grown through the years and now brings together nearly 1,000 scientists, engineers, policy makers, planners, and partners from across the country that are actively involved in ecosystem restoration. It is an interdisciplinary conference presenting state-of-the art science and engineering, planning and policy in a partnership environment. Recommendations from the National Research Council and the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board stress the need for leadership in the ecosystem restoration arena in order to achieve success. In addition, attendees at past National Conferences on Ecosystem Restoration have requested some form of collaboration bridging our biennial conferences. The concept of a National Coalition for Ecosystem Restoration was initially launched at the National Conference for Ecosystem Restoration 2009. Two feedback forums held during NCER 2009 were the leadership summit and the closing plenary session. In addition, a questionnaire was distributed to the entire list of NCER attendees to obtain feedback. The concept was also presented at the Annual American Water Resources Conference in November 2009 and the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference 2010. First and foremost based upon all the feedback we have received, we changed the name to the National “Community” for Ecosystem Restoration and altered the original conceptual model to the following:


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The non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) officially launched America’s Great Waters Coalition in December 2009 at the US Capitol Visitors Center. The Coalition works to secure needed long-term federal funding commitments as well as a comprehensive policy for the restoration of many of America’s large aquatic ecosystems. To manifest this vision, the Great Waters Coalition is focusing on the following goals:

Make the restoration of our great waters a national priority;

Secure sustainable dedicated funding for restoration;

Ensure sound implementation of restoration.

The key here is that the National Community for Ecosystem Restoration will complement and not duplicate the Great Waters Coalition efforts. NCER’s two initial goals were to:

Link all ongoing ecosystem restoration efforts and fill recognized knowledge transfer and communication gaps;

Help enable a collaborative and holistic life-cycle approach to ecosystem restoration. Approximately 50 volunteers who are national senior leaders in the field of ecosystem restoration have been working very diligently since the National Conference in 2009 to take the National Community for Ecosystem Restoration to the next level. Mission, Implementation and Governance sub-teams have been created and are actively focusing our next steps. In September 2010 NCER representatives were invited to meet with the SER Board. A three page concept paper was prepared and was the premise for the discussion. It is enclosed as Attachment A. The following is an excerpt from the concept paper:

Mission Statement The National Community for Ecosystem Restoration (NCER) intends to serve as a leading information transfer forum for large-scale ecosystem restoration (LSER) programs, as well as related programs across the United States. NCER will provide assistance to those implementing ecosystem restoration programs by bringing together diverse science, engineering and social science disciplines to foster knowledge exchange, policy development and partnerships. Focus and Activities of NCER Enhancing technical tools (analytical tools and modeling; technology supporting monitoring and research; and standards and guidelines for restoration),

Supporting policy, planning and science (setting objectives and measures of success; approaches to science learning; communicating ecosystem restoration goals; and policy development at the national level), and

Developing partnerships and networking (through the biennial conference; semi-annual newsletter; roster of experts; and partnership opportunities between federal and state agencies, private entities, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders).

The meeting concluded with an agreement that there were additional details to be worked thru and a joint team would prepare a white paper for consideration by NCER and SER membership. Meeting minutes are found in Attachment B.


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II. MERGER PROPOSAL

2.1 SER Membership For NCER Constituency

All attendees that registered for the 2009 NCER conference in Los Angeles or for the 2011 NCER Conference (Baltimore, MD) will receive a complementary SER membership at the ‘Full’ membership level (see Attachment C: SER Membership Application for an explanation of the various membership levels). SER Full membership benefits include:

Weekly RESTORE E-News bulletin

Deep discounts on publications and conferences

Electronic quarterly SERNews

Project featured in the online Restoration Showcase

One event listing in the online Calendar of Events

One small ad for one year in Restoration Marketplace

Member-in-the-News Profile 50% off the cost of posting jobs in the online Career Center

After the six-month free membership trial, all of those wishing to continue membership would need to renew their membership with SER (at whatever level they choose). Should a guild or other entity be formed within SER to represent the NCER constituency and their vision, then membership to the guild/entity would also be free for the first six months. The SER board in consultation with the leadership of the NCER guild/entity would set membership dues for the guild/entity. With SER membership, NCER constituency will be eligible for an array of benefits. Some of these benefits are outlined below and found in Attachment D: CONNECT, DISCOVER AND GROW! SER Membership Benefits, as well as on the SER web site (www.ser.org) under ‘Joining’.

Publications:

SER provides a variety of resources and publications. Some of these resources can be found on the SER web site and are available for anyone to access. Other resources are available through various membership plans:

SER Primer on Ecological Restoration

Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects

SER - Island Press book series: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration, under which 21 titles have been published and many more are in the making. This book series provides practical knowledge and scientific insight and it has become an International forum to advance the science and practice of ecological restoration.

Restoration Ecology - The peer-reviewed journal, of the Society is edited by Dr. Richard Hobbs and is on its 19th Vol. Since 2004 it has grown from four to six issues per volume while its

http://www.ser.org/


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impact factor has increased from 1.177 in 2004 to 1.892 in 2008. The journal covers issues regarding applied research on ecological principles to explain restoration processes, descriptions of new techniques likely to be of use to other practitioners, and setbacks and surprises.

Ecological Restoration – This journal, edited by Steven N. Handel, Ph.D., Professor and Director Center for Urban Restoration Ecology, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, & Natural Resources, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a forum for people interested in all areas of ecological restoration. It features the technical and biological aspects of restoring landscapes, as well as emerging professional issues, the role of education, evolving theories of post-modern humans and their environment, land-use policy, the science of collaboration, and more. The quarterly publication offers peer-reviewed feature articles, short notes, and book reviews as well as abstracts of pertinent work published elsewhere.

NCER constituency that receives the 6-month free membership will receive discounts to publications and conferences, as well as a free subscription to RESTORE and SERNews. In subsequent renewal periods NCER Guild members will have the opportunity to continue receiving these benefits and many more. SER also invites NCER constituency to become actively involved in helping to shape the editorial content of many of these publications (or to develop new ones), to incorporate issues associated with large-scale ecosystem restoration. SER is in the process of revising many of its foundation documents, including the SER Primer on Ecological Restoration. SER invites NCER constituency to collaborate in crafting the revisions for the Primer and other foundation documents to ensure that large-scale ecosystem restoration is represented. The Global Restoration Network The Global Restoration Network (GRN) offers the field of ecological restoration a new web-based database portal to access technically sound and hard-to-find information on all aspects of restoration, ranging from historic ecosystems and causes of degradation to in-depth case studies and descriptions of proven restoration methods and techniques. The overriding mission of the GRN is to link research, projects, and practitioners in order to foster an innovative exchange of experience, vision, and expertise. The GRN is fast becoming the central hub for ecological restoration – a vital resource for policymakers, professionals and communities, whether researching options for habitat restoration, writing a project proposal, coordinating volunteers, or looking for educational programs and funding. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the GRN is the database where you can initiate specific queries to find restoration case studies and annotated links to a wide variety of relevant resources including experts, organizations and literature.

SER invites the NCER constituency to collaborate on expanding and enhancing the Global Restoration Network to incorporate information, resources and projects pertaining to large ecosystem restoration initiatives. NCER constituency that becomes members of SER will have full access to the GRN.


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2.2 NCER Representation on the SER Board of Directors All members of SER in good standing are eligible to be nominated to a Board of Directors position. Therefore, NCER constituency that becomes members of SER in good standing are welcome and encouraged to run for an SER Board of Directors position. Should a guild or other entity be formed to represent NCER constituency within SER, then that guild/entity shall be entitled to one representative. All members in good standing of the guild/entity shall vote for their SER Board of Director representative to serve a two-year term, concurrent with the election of for other SER board positions. All members of the guild/entity in good standing would be eligible for this position.

2.3 Creation of a Guild/Entity to Represent NCER Constituency SER will establish a guild or other such entity within SER to represent the National Community of Ecosystem Restoration constituency. SER is open to exploring with the NCER constituency different ways to structure an entity within SER to represent the mission, goals and activities of NCER as stated above. One such entity could be an NCER Guild within SER. Currently SER has a Student Guild program; however, SER recognizes that guilds should be reserved to represent a particular focus area, while chapters should serve to represent a group within a specific geographic region. Consequently, SER will be transitioning the Student Guild program to a Student Chapter program subject to approval of the Board of Directors at the August 2011 meeting. If so desired, SER could also move to establish a guild to represent the NCER mission and goals. Regardless of the entity, SER will work with NCER constituency to ensure that their focus area and particular interest in serving as a leading information transfer forum for large-scale ecosystem restoration programs, as well as related programs across the United States, is well supported. SER will provide assistance to those implementing ecosystem restoration programs by bringing together diverse science, engineering and social science disciplines to foster knowledge exchange, policy development and partnerships. While NCER is currently focused within the United States of America, we will collectively seek opportunities to expand throughout North America and the world. SER, in consultation with NCER constituency leadership, will amend its bylaws and develop a mutually acceptable brand name to accommodate an NCER guild or other entity.

2.4 SER/NCER Conference Configuration, Structure & Management

Currently SER convenes a biennial world conference on ecological restoration. SER’s conferences on restoration date back to 1989, and most have been held in the US and Canada. In 2005, SER switched to a biennial conference that rotates between North America and other parts of the world. SER conferences have included:

1989 Oakland, CA, USA

1990 Chicago, IL, USA


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1991 Orlando, FL, USA

1992 Waterloo, Ontario, CAN

1993 Irvine, CA, USA

1994 Lansing, MI, USA

1995 Seattle, WA, USA

1996 New Brunswick, NJ, USA

1997 Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

1998 Austin, TX, USA

1999 San Francisco, CA, USA

2000 Liverpool, England

2001 Niagara Falls, Ontario, CAN

2002 Tucson, AZ, USA

2003 Austin, TX, USA

2004 Victoria, British Columbia, CAN

2005 Zaragoza, Spain

2007 San Jose, CA, USA 2009 Perth, WA, Australia

The 2011 SER World Conference will be held in Merida, Mexico, in August 21-25. In the even years, between the SER world conferences, the SER chapters hold conferences specific to their regions. This model has served SER well, providing all members with an opportunity to come together every other year, while allowing the individual chapters to host conferences that are focused on their specific region and interests. Since SER does not have a US national (or North American) chapter (chapters in Canada and the US are based on regions – e.g.. the Mid-Atlantic Chapter), it is logical for the NCER biennial conference to also serve as the SER US national/North American conference. While SER fully supports and recognizes that the primary focus of the NCER conference is to further the agenda and aspirations of NCER’s mission and goals, the US national conference should also serve to further SER's agenda and aspirations while providing the opportunity for the regional gathering for all SER members throughout the US/North America. Coincidently, both organizations are considering holding their respective conferences in the Upper Mid-west region in 2013. In recognition that SER’s 25th anniversary is in 2013, SER has selected Madison, Wisconsin (where the organization was founded) as the venue for its 5th world conference. We are proposing that the 2013 conference be a joint SER-NCER conference where the NCER conference is recognized as the official SER North American biennial conference. The primary theme of the conference would be large-scale ecosystem restoration with a focus on the Great Lakes and water resources. SER and NCER could work together over the course of the next two years to determine the sequence of national conferences following 2013. For the joint SER World/NCER North American biennial conference in 2013, the logistical services of the University of Florida (UF) Leadership & Education Foundation, Inc., Office of Conferences and Institutes could be the lead on organizing, facilitating and managing the conference. Subsequent NCER North


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American conferences will have the continuing option of employing the UF to manage its conferences as long as the conferences are generating income. SER may also consider employing UF to manage its future world conferences.

2.5 SER Practitioners Institute and Certification for NCER Guild Members

Ecological restoration is now recognized worldwide as an important approach for the recovery of impaired ecosystems, including their biodiversity, ability to provide natural goods and services, and capacity to provide sustainable human livelihoods. There is an increasing demand for ecological restoration projects and programs conducted by qualified professionals with the skills, knowledge, experience and ability to plan, design, implement, maintain, monitor, manage, and evaluate restoration projects. However, until now the qualifications of a competent ecological restoration practitioner have not been formally developed. Accordingly, SER convened an Ad-hoc Committee on Practitioner Certification to develop a certification program for ecological restoration. As a result of the committee’s recommendations, SER is in the process of establishing the Society for Ecological Restoration Practitioners Institute (SERPI), a 501(c)6 subsidiary of SER. To date, the Ad-hoc Committee has completed the first draft of certification program design, which is currently being vetted by committee members and outside consultants. The primary goals of the certification program are to:

Provide ecological restoration practitioners with credentials needed to improve consumer confidence in the profession;

Improve the quality of ecological restoration projects worldwide;

Foster incorporation of ecological restoration principles into the decision-making process of restoration projects;

Develop a community of practitioners who are actively engaged in the continued improvement of their individual abilities and those of the profession;

Create standards for ecological restoration practitioners; and

Stimulate growth of the profession of ecological restoration. Recently Dr. Thomas St. Clair, who has been instrumental in the development and leadership of NCER, has joined the SER Ad-hoc Committee on Practitioner Certification to represent the constituency of NCER. The Ad-hoc Certification Committee welcomes other NCER constituency to join and work collaboratively with Ad-hoc Certification Committee.

2.6 Publication(s) Representing Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration

SER recognizes that its journal Restoration Ecology and to a large degree, Ecological Restoration are not meeting the needs of ecological restoration practitioners. As a result, SER has been exploring the idea of creating a publication that is focused exclusively on the practice of ecological restoration at scales ranging from the regional and ecosystem scale to the site specific scale, addressing social and economic issues, and providing on-the-ground solutions to all aspects of restoration. SER would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with NCER constituency to develop this type of publication.


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2.7 “Ecosystem vs. Ecological” – The Name Issue At the initial NCER-SER meeting, NCER suggested that the SER Board consider a name change from “The Society for Ecological Restoration” to “The Society for Ecosystem Restoration.” While the use of the terms ecological versus ecosystem may simply be a matter of perception, nonetheless, many who are involved with NCER believe that “ecosystem” is a broad term inclusive of a variety of disciplines, including ecology/biology, hydrology, planning, engineering, and operations and that "ecological" is a biological discipline; hence, SER is a biological society. NCER participants feel the term ecosystem is more inclusive and more representative of NCER and have recommended consideration of this name change. SER suggested that the name of the organization remain the same for several reasons. First, SER has over 24 years invested in the name and brand. Second, the original intention of using the term ‘ecological’ restoration, which remains valid today, is to emphasize the holistic and integrative aspects of practice, and that one could not afford to concentrate solely on ecosystem qualities at the expense of social, economic, aesthetic, political and moral concerns. The definition of ecological includes a social and political component, and it is this double-edge that attracted many of SER’s founders to the idea of ecological restoration. It wasn't just that we are restoring ecosystems, but the very way we are doing so reflects an integrated multifaceted approach. In this respect, ecological has a broader meaning. Finally, SER does not agree with NCER’s assumption that ecology is restricted to "the study of natural (or biological) processes" at the exclusion of the physical sciences; on the contrary, in the narrowest sense, the study of ecology is the study of organisms and their habitat (both physical and biotic elements). Thus, ‘ecological’ captures and embraces the science of the relationships between the living, the non-living and the socioeconomic aspects of an ecosystem. SER fully embraces the concept that restoration is intractably tied to culture, and one cannot restore an ecosystem without including socioeconomic features. This is evidenced by SER’s mission, "to promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture." As evidenced by the opening paragraph on SER’s website (www.ser.com), SER fully recognizes and embraces the concept of ecosystem restoration, and its members along with their associated work draw from an array of backgrounds, disciplines, skills, education and training.

“The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) International is a non-profit organization infused with the energy of 2300 members – individuals and organizations who are actively engaged in ecologically-sensitive repair and management of ecosystems through an unusually broad array of experience, knowledge sets and cultural perspectives. They are scientists, planners, administrators, ecological consultants, first peoples, landscape architects, philosophers, teachers, engineers, natural areas managers, writers, growers, community activists, and volunteers, among others.”

Ecosystem is also embedded into SER’s official definition of Ecological Restoration, Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Likewise, SER defines ecological restoration practitioners as “persons who are actively engaged in the various phases and aspects of ecological restoration and who are knowledgeable in the concepts of restoration ecology and the principles and practices of ecological restoration. Ecological restoration practitioners are directly involved with the planning and implementation of ecological restoration

http://www.ser.com/


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projects and/or the planning and management of ecosystem restoration programs. Ecological restoration practitioners are trained and experienced in the various phases of restoration including conceptual planning, planning and design, implementation/construction, maintenance and management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting” Many of SER members work on large ecosystem restoration projects throughout the world in a variety of capacities, from program management, inventory and assessment, through conceptual and final design, economic analyses to monitoring and evaluation. For these reasons, SER maintains that the name of the organization should remain the Society for Ecological Restoration. Merely having this type of healthy dialog between NCER and SER reinforces the relevance of considering a structured NCER-SER merger.

III. PATH FORWARD

3.1 Options The time has arrived for a decision on which governance path to pursue for NCER. One option is to “do nothing.” A second option would be for NCER to self organize and become some type of umbrella organization, which would scale up over time, in phases or stages. This second approach is more grass-roots oriented and will require our volunteer base to contribute an increased amount of time to make this a reality. This could take the form of creating a separate 501(c)(3) for NCER which would involve fund-raising. The third option would be to merge with SER. This option would involve collaboratively working on a merger structure.

3.2 Timeline This proposal will be discussed at NCER 2011 and SER’s 4th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in August 2011. There has been agreement between the two organizations to send a representative delegation to each other’s conference to allow for dialogue and representation. Also being discussed is holding a joint conference regardless if the merger proceeds or not in 2013.

19 July – Send Final Proposal to NCER Conference Attendees /SER Board of Directors 1 Aug – NCER 2011 Plenary Path Forward Discussion and Free 6 month Membership (Full) to SER for those who register to attend NCER 2011 21-25 Aug – SER 4th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Merida, Mexico (with a symposium on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Gulf restoration initiatives) - Plenary Path Forward Discussion.

People who contributed to this white paper from NCER’s national senior leadership group were Matt Harwell, Ronnie Best, Ann Shortelle, Joe Berg, Tom St Clair, Ed Theriot, Dave Tazik, Ken Wagner, Judy Dudley, Lynn Wingard, Bev Getzen, Robert Daoust and Cheryl Ulrich. SER would like to thank Amanda Jorgenson, Cara Nelson, Dr. Carolina Murcia, John Stanley, Sasha Alexander, Don Eastman, Keith Bowers and the remaining Board and Staff of SER for contributions to this initiative.


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LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Three Page Concept Paper for NCER

Attachment B – NCER and SER September 2010 Meeting

Attachment C – SER Membership Application

Attachment D - CONNECT, DISCOVER AND GROW! Society for Ecological Restoration Membership Benefits

a proposal for consideration: ser/ncer...

Documents