Imagine a landscape project involving more than one thousand acres of woods, pastures, farmland, hills, rivers, streams and wetlands. That was the scope of the restoration and re-vegetation project along the Cardinal Products Pipeline right of way - a 150-mile stretch of real estate from Kenova, W. Va., to Columbus, Ohio.

"The before and after photos clearly show the care that was taken during the construction of this pipeline and the restoration of the right of way afterward," says Marathon Pipe Line LLC (MPL) President Joe Baker. "We made a commitment to return this land to its original condition and these photos tell a very positive story and demonstrate that we are true to our word."

In 2004, the final phase of the restoration was completed, although the restoration work had been an on-going process as segments of construction were completed along the route.

Restoration of the right of way was a labor of love for Angela Brown, a supervisor in Marathon Marketing and Transportation Engineering, who was in charge of the project, and Vicki May, a MPL manager, who sponsored the project and provided environmental and safety expertise. Brown made certain every detail from fertilizing, mulching, liming and seeding the right of way to erosion control along streams to re-vegetation of wetlands was accomplished using best practices .

At times it was an arduous process, given weather and terrain challenges. But the work moved forward. Topsoil and subsoil were segregated during construction and redeployed during restoration; jute matting and slope breakers were employed for erosion control on steep hillsides; and contouring methods and erosion matting were used along stream banks, to name a few of the techniques and best practices. Crews also planted special grasses and clovers that will provide food and cover for wild turkeys, deer and other wildlife along the route.

Since December of 2003, Cardinal has been delivering much-needed fuel supplies into Central Ohio.