▁resources ▁to ▁restore ▁and ▁preserve ▁est u ar ine ▁habit ats . ▁Its ▁sphere ▁of ▁work ▁includes ▁supporting ▁on - the - ground ▁community - based ▁rest oration ▁projects , ▁creating ▁tools ▁and ▁resources ▁to ▁guide ▁the ▁rest oration ▁process , ▁and , ▁eng aging ▁and ▁unit ing ▁key ▁st ake hold ers ▁in ▁a ▁bien n ial ▁national ▁conference ▁and ▁through ▁out re ach ▁efforts . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁creation ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁R AE ▁and ▁its ▁members ▁have ▁restored ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁coast al ▁habitat , ▁yield ing ▁count less ▁benefits ▁to ▁vital ▁food ▁supplies , ▁human ▁health , ▁job ▁creation , ▁and ▁quality ▁of ▁life . ▁This ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁accomplished ▁by ▁raising ▁and ▁lever aging ▁more ▁than ▁$ 2 5 ▁million ▁in ▁fund ing ▁for ▁habitat ▁rest oration , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 0 ▁local ▁rest oration ▁projects ▁throughout ▁the ▁U . S . ▁In ▁addition , ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁volunte ers ▁have ▁contributed ▁toward ▁the ▁rest oration ▁effort . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁P ew ▁Char itable ▁Trust s ▁conce ived ▁an ▁initi ative ▁that ▁would ▁link ▁coast al ▁organizations ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁level ▁to ▁further ▁emp ower ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁level . ▁ ▁E ight ▁existing ▁coast al ▁organizations ▁( AL S , ▁CL F , ▁C BF , ▁CR CL , ▁N CC F , ▁P