The Five Star Restoration Program brings together students, conservation corps, other youth groups, citizen groups, corporations, landowners and government agencies to provide environmental education and training through projects that restore wetlands and streams. The program provides challenge grants, technical support and opportunities for information exchange to enable community-based restoration projects. Funding levels are modest, from $5,000 to $20,000, with $10,000 as the average amount awarded per project. At the completion of Five Star projects, each partnership will have experience and a demonstrated record of accomplishment, and will be well-positioned to take on other projects. Aggregating over time and space, these grassroots efforts will make a significant contribution to our environmental landscape and to the understanding of the importance of healthy wetlands and streams in our communities.

The goal of the program is to foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach, training activities and on-the-ground restoration projects.

Since 1999, Five Star has supported nearly 400 projects with more than $4 million in federal funds and $25 million in partner matching funds. In 2005 the program awarded more than $523,000 to 53 community-led conservation projects to support wetland and streamside restoration projects nationwide. As a result, over 10,000 acres of wetlands have been managed or restored and almost 90 miles of stream banks have been restored. Over 18,000 community volunteers have been engaged in the projects.