WRP seeks to support restoration projects that offer the greatest social and ecological benefits to the Commonwealth while maximizing the value of available resources. To achieve this goal, the program uses an annual open public process through the state's Comm-PASS procurement system to solicit priority project nominations. A review team evaluates and scores the nominations according to review criteria and then – in consideration of project merit, available program funds, projected workload, and staff resources – designates a group of priority projects.

Designated priority projects are eligible (though not guaranteed) to receive both internal program assistance and contracted technical services funded by WRP. These services may include, but are not limited to: wetland delineation, survey and mapping, site planning, hydraulic analyses, project design, impact assessments, permitting, and monitoring. WRP will support priority projects throughout the various phases of restoration and post-construction monitoring unless new information / data warrants removal of priority status. For example, if a hydraulic analysis determines that restoration actions would unavoidably flood existing low-lying structures adjacent to the site, this new information would affect the project's feasibility and may warrant removal of priority status.

Click to view a map of active priority project locations (as of May 2008).

Priority Project RFRs and Results

Below is a list of the priority projects grouped by the RFR under which they were nominated and accepted.

Projects Accepted under October 2006 RFR (click link above to see descriptions of 2006 RFR Priority Projects):

• Eel River Headwaters, Plymouth
• Stony Brook, Brewster
• Mill River , Gloucester
• Town Creek, Salisbury
• Dun Fudgin', Gloucester
• Broad Cove, Hingham
• Belle Isle Marsh , Boston
• Jacobs Meadow, Cohasset
• Parker Avenue 'Cut', Cohasset

Projects Accepted under September 2005 RFR:

• Back River Marsh, Bourne (priority status revoked in 2008)
• Labor in Vain Brook & Skating Pond, Somerset
• Marsh Island, Fairhaven
• Musquashcut Pond, Scituate
• Neponset Marshes Phase II, Boston
• Newman Road, Newbury
• Nonquit Marsh, Dartmouth
• Thissell Marsh, Beverly
• Winsegansett East, Fairhaven
• Winsegansett West, Fairhaven

Projects Accepted under September 2004 RFR:.

• Apponagansett Bay, Dartmouth (priority status revoked in 2006)
• Central Wetland, Cambridge
• Consue Springs, Nantucket
• Farm Pond, Oak Bluffs
• Green Harbor River, Marshfield
• Inner Little Harbor, Cohasset
• Oak Island Marsh, Revere
• Scorton Creek East, Sandwich (priority status revoked in 2005)
• Shore Road, Yarmouth
• Skaket Beach Road, Orleans
• Smith Lane, Eastham
• Stewarts Creek, Barnstable
• Straits Pond, Hull-Cohasset-Hingham
• Village Marsh, Sandwich
• West Island Beach, Fairhaven
• Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester

Projects Accepted under December 2003 RFR:

• Ballard Street, Saugus
• Bass Creek, Yarmouth
• Bridge Creek Phase II, Barnstable
• Bridge Street, Dennis
• Coonamessett Bogs, Falmouth
• Cowyards, Dartmouth
• East Harbor / Pilgrim Lake, Truro
• Gray Gables, Bourne
• Herring River, Wellfleet
• Hix Bridge, Westport (priority status revoked in 2006)
• Island Road, Essex
• Mattapoisett Neck, Mattapoisett
• Medouie Creek, Nantucket
• Mill Creek, Chelsea
• Namskaket Marsh, Brewster
• North Pool, Plum Island, Newbury
• Parkhurst Marsh, Quincy
• Quivett Creek, Dennis
• Round Hill Beach, Dartmouth
• South Cape Beach, Mashpee
• State Game Farm, Sandwich
• Thompson Island, Boston