Planning is a common-sense type of activity that helps move from a goal that may not be very well defined to a plan for accomplishing desired objectives. It helps make things happen. In ecosystem restoration projects, the planning process is necessary to develop projects that will meet requirements for funding. Planning is by nature an iterative process, so it is well-suited to cope with the variability inherent in ecological systems.
Following a systematic, structured planning process helps assure that the resulting plan is complete, i.e., has considered all the significant and relevant information and decisions. If assumptions and interim decisions are documented during the process, then presentation and justification of the project is easier.
The basic steps of the planning process serve equally well for determining impacts of water resource projects such as navigation and flood reduction, for siting a mitigation bank, for developing management plans, as well as ecosystem restoration projects. Having a consistent "language" for developing all projects will benefit communication among different disciplines and offices.