Introducing Polly Hicks, the Head of Policy, Planning, and Communication
NOAA Restoration Ecologist Polly Hicks Leads Significant Habitat Restoration Projects
Polly Hicks, the Policy, Planning, and Communications Supervisor for the NOAA Restoration Center, is a renowned Restoration Ecologist who has dedicated her career to restoring and enhancing coastal and marine ecosystems. Her work has focused on projects that range from restoring eelgrass beds and tidal marshes to the Fisher Slough Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project, the first of its kind on private land in the delta.
Hicks's role within the NOAA Restoration Center, a division of the Office of Habitat Conservation, involves collaborative, science-based approaches to habitat restoration. These projects aim to rehabilitate degraded habitats, support biodiversity, and strengthen ecosystem resilience in the face of environmental change.
One of Hicks's most notable projects was the Elwha Dam removal and floodplain restoration project, the largest dam removal in North America. This project, which she worked on with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, resulted in a rapid reforming of the estuary, growth of plants, and the return of salmon above the dam. The Fisher Slough Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project, on the other hand, supports up to an additional 22,000 juvenile Chinook salmon per year.
Hicks's connection to habitat has been deepened by her daughters, who often find new things to observe or explore during hiking, paddling, or camping trips. Her 7- and 9-year-old daughters have provided her with a fresh perspective on the beauty and importance of habitats, often prompting her to marvel at the wonders she takes for granted.
Before her current role, Hicks provided technical assistance for on-the-ground habitat restoration projects. Her understanding or connection to habitat has been expanded by exploring habitats with various scientists, naturalists, tribal historians, farmers, and students.
Hicks's dedication to her work has not gone unnoticed. The Fisher Slough Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project is inspiring to her, and she takes pride in the impact her work has on the environment and local communities. Recently, Hicks relocated to NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she continues to make a difference in the field of habitat restoration.
- Polly Hicks's innovative use of science in her work on habitat restoration projects, such as the Elwha Dam removal and the Fisher Slough Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project, demonstrates the potential impact of environmental science on home-and-garden, business, and lifestyle practices.
- Polly Hicks's work in habitat restoration, like the Fisher Slouth Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project, not only supports biodiversity in the delta region but also contributes to the education and self-development of students, who learn about the importance of preserving habitats when they visit the restored marsh.
- As the Policy, Planning, and Communications Supervisor for the NOAA Restoration Center, Polly Hicks utilizes her expertise in finance to secure funding for large-scale habitat restoration projects, like the Elwha Dam removal, demonstrating the interplay between science, technology, and business in environmental conservation efforts.
- By removing the Elwha Dam and restoring the surrounding habitat, Polly Hicks and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe have shown that habitat restoration projects are crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change on coastal and marine ecosystems.
- Polly Hicks's role in the Fisher Slough Freshwater Marsh Restoration Project has helped secure up to an additional 22,000 juvenile Chinook salmon per year, emphasizing the significance of habitat restoration for the preservation of key species in marine ecosystems.
