System, method, and apparatus for generating and distributing watershed restoration credits

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for systems, apparatuses, and methods for collaborative watershed restoration projects, which may include one or more restoration actions involving a variety of different stakeholders that, when completed, provides a positive contribution to the ecological health of at least one watershed. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, with a controller of a restoration server, a project report providing status information with respect to one or more restoration actions of a watershed restoration project;   receiving, with the controller, separate from the project report, a project certification to certify the status information within the project report;   generating, by the controller, a plurality of ecological restoration credits based on the receiving of the project certification; and   distributing, by the controller, at least a portion of the plurality of ecological restoration credits to at least one funding source that contributed funds to the designing and/or implementing of at least one restoration action of the one or more restoration actions.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the project report addresses project design criteria associated with the watershed restoration project. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the one or more restoration actions is allocated a respective number of ecological restoration credits based on factors attributed to individual restoration actions, wherein the factors include contribution to ecological health of a watershed, cost and/or difficulty of implementation, and/or associated financial benefit to an owner of land in which the project is performed. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving the project report from a first user computing device; and   receiving the project certification from a second user computing device.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection indicating a restoration action of the one or more restoration actions; and   generating project design criteria for the restoration action.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 generating a user report to provide a user with information on a status of the one or more restoration actions based on said receiving of the project certification; and   transmitting the user report to the user.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a user computing device, data identifying a geographical location;   identifying a plurality of watershed restoration actions for the geographical location; and   providing the plurality of watershed restoration actions to the user computing device in a selectable manner.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said identifying of the plurality of watershed restoration actions is based on factors identified as limiting watershed recovery and funding criteria of one or more funding sources 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 generating a first layer of a geographical information system (GIS) to correlate factors identified as limiting watershed recovery to various geographical locations; and   identifying the plurality of restoration actions based on the geographical location and the first layer of the GIS.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 generating a second layer of the GIS to correlate the funding criteria of the one or more funding sources to various geographical locations; and   identifying the plurality of restoration actions based on the second layer of the GIS.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said generating of the plurality of ecological restoration credits comprises:
 accessing a credit definition that associates a number of ecological restoration credits with a first restoration action of the one or more restoration actions; and   generating the plurality of ecological restoration credits based on said credit definition.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller, an update to the credit definition to associate a different number of ecological restoration credits with the first restoration action.   
     
     
         33 . A system comprising:
 a project database configured to store project information related to a watershed restoration projection including one or more restoration actions; and   a controller configured to:
 receive a project report providing status information with respect to at least one of the one or more restoration actions; 
 receive a project certification to certify the status information within the project report; 
 generate a plurality of ecological restoration credits based on the receipt of the project certification; and 
 distribute the ecological restoration credits to at least one funding source that contributed funds to the design and/or implementation of the at least one restoration action. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the project report addresses project design criteria associated with the watershed restoration project. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein each of the one or more restoration actions is allocated a respective number of ecological restoration credits based on factors attributed to individual restoration actions, wherein the factors include contribution to ecological health of a watershed, cost and/or difficulty of implementation, and/or associated financial benefit to an owner of land in which the project is performed. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive the project report from a first user computing device; and
 receive the project certification from a second user computing device.   
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive, from a user computing device, data identifying a geographical location;   identify a plurality of watershed restoration actions for the geographical location; and   provide the plurality of watershed restoration actions to the user computing device in a selectable manner.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 a geographical information system (GIS) having a first layer to correlate factors identified as limiting watershed recovery to various geographical locations; and   the controller is configured to identify the plurality of restoration actions based on the geographical location and the first layer of the GIS.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the plurality of ecological restoration credits by being configured to:
 access a credit definition that associates a number of ecological restoration credits with a first restoration action of the one or more restoration actions; and   generate the plurality of ecological restoration credits based on the credit definition.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive an update to the credit definition to associate a different number of ecological restoration credits with the first restoration action.