Planning and Development of a Desert Wetland Park in the United States - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 212

labor from concerned and committed partners. One of the biggest challenges has
also been that dollars for new construction projects tended to be easier to obtain than
funding for continual operations and maintenance. Yet once that significant initial
investment has been made to create such a place, it is essential that it must be cared
for. Many restored environments have, unfortunately, been financially orphaned and
physically abandoned.
What is the bridge to the future of the successful restoration of landscapes like
the Las Vegas Wash? Zimmerman (2004) is adamant that such projects will only
succeed in the long term if people have a sense of ownership in the transformation
of the place (see also chapter 2). The lesson for the Iraqi marshlands and elsewhere
is that people must be empowered to serve as stewards of that repaired land, and that
they must remain passionate about the outcome of the restoration.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Adapted from Zimmerman (2004).
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———. 1995b. Clark County Wetlands Park planning process . Las Vegas, NV: Southwest
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