Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water: Updates & Next Steps Kitty Weisman, Coordinator Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water

Healthy Forests = Clean Water MISSION  Ensure healthy SE forested watersheds that provide safe, reliable drinking water through strong partnerships, collaboration, funding, & action. SE Partnership Origin: Initiated—2012, Greenville, SC Funded by USDA Forest Service & US Endowment for Forestry & Communities VISION  SE forested watersheds are healthy, drinking water is safe & reliable, stakeholders collaborate, & funds exist for long-term stewardship.

GOALS Retain, expand & steward healthy forests Foster relationships & partnerships ID watersheds for cooperative stewardship Develop sustainable funding Implement pilot projects In drinking water source watersheds We’ve accomplished the first three goals and beginning to have success with the last two

SE Partnership for Forests & Water Initiated at 2012 Greenville, SC meeting Funded by US Forest Service & US Endowment for Forestry & Communities Funding is expected for the future – 2-3 years out at the following levels: $40K per year – USFS & US Endowment $300K for three years – USFS Landscape Scale Restoration Grant $20K annually from US Endowment & US Forest Service; $96K over two years through US Forest Service Repurpose Grant

Scope & Approach 8 States – AL, AR, FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, TX Collaborative Forums Relationships Shared vision & goals Priority watersheds Solve Challenges Actions & funding Messaging, outreach & assistance Solving challenges & obstacles depends on in-depth discussion about watershed protection success factors and identifying where each state/priority watershed needs help Funding includes expanded definition of funding outside traditional funding models (such as grants and loans) to emphasize the importance of local, sustainable funding through mechanisms such as payment for watershed services GA – 2; AR – 2; TX – 2; SC – 1; FL – 1 - REPORTS

2016 South Carolina Forests & Drinking Water Forum Watershed Protection Success Factors THEME SUCCESS FACTOR BUILDING MOMENTUM Drivers/opportunities for green infrastructure investment Champions/Advocates Business/Economic Case Partnerships & collaboration Effective messages/outreach DESIGNING Landscape assessments/plans Agreed upon outcomes/definition of success Sustainable funding mechanisms IMPLEMENTING Partners have defined responsibilities & capacity Landowners are involved, invested MAINTAINING Outcomes monitored & reported Sufficient long-term funding to achieve landscape-scale results Ability to learn from past & for future 2016 WRI Report – Protecting Drinking Water at the Source – watershed protection success factors. Partners identify which factors they need help with, and we target our efforts there; from WRI most recent watershed report

Collaborative Forums 13 Forests & Drinking Water Forums: GA – state Forum & Mid-Chattahoochee workshop (w/ AL) AR – 2 state Forums & NW workshop TX – state Forum & 2 partnership meetings SC – state Forum FL – state Forum & Panhandle Workshop (2019) NC & SC – combined state Forum VA – state Forum (2019)

2016 South Carolina Forests & Drinking Water Forum 2018 Accomplishments Strategic Plan & Messaging Strategy Website: www.southeasternpartnership.org EPA Grant for VA & NC/SC Forums New State Partners: FL & VA LSR Grant Proposal Submitted Assisting KFAF Effort Presentations & Webinars planned AWWA SWM19 Forest Legacy Hired Assistant – Nahal Ipakchi 2016 WRI Report – Protecting Drinking Water at the Source – watershed protection success factors. Partners identify which factors they need help with, and we target our efforts there; from WRI most recent watershed report

LSR Grants Leveraging Local Buy In NW & S. Central AR Savannah Watershed, GA Catawba Wateree Watershed (NC/SC) Oconee Basin, GA Mid Chattahoochee Watershed (GA/AL) Texas coalition building NW & S. Central AR (multiple utilities) Savannah W’shed (GA & SC – 6 utilities) Catawba Wateree W’shed (NC & SC – 17 utilities) Oconee W’shed (GA – City of Athens) Mid Chattahoochee (AL & GA – 7 utilities including Columbus) TX Economic Case (multiple utilities statewide)

Leveraging Local Funding 5/1/2012 Leveraging Local Funding Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grants: Pee Dee-Winyah Basin – SC Catawba-Wateree Basin – NC/SC Hill Country – Austin, TX Beaver Water District – AR Local Utility Green Bonding Potential: Houston, TX Little Rock, AR (Central Arkansas Water)

SE Partnership for Forests & Water Regional Benefits Built-in efficiencies & economies of scale Ideas & Successes Easily Replicated Shared vision & outcomes Regional momentum Landowners as partners

Big Picture – Success Models: San Antonio: sales tax = $135M since 2000 Beaver Water District, AR rates = $750K/yr Central Arkansas: use fee = $1M/year Raleigh: use fee = $2.2M/year Savannah Basin: budget = $933,000/year Biggest hurdle appears to be funding so success is based on securing long-term local funding (which can then be leveraged for grants) San Antonio 1/8 cent sales tax NW Arkansas 4 cents/1000 gallons

LSR Grant Proposal Elevating the Southern Region Forest & Water Connection: Using Innovative, Non- Traditional Partnerships for Forest & Drinking Water Sustainability & Stewardship AL, AR, FL, GA, NC, SC, TX, VA

LSR Proposal Focus Keeping Forests as Forests State Forest Action Plans Sentinel Landscapes State Source Water Assessments Engage Local planning Assist forest landowners Address urban storm water & groundwater Promote co-benefits Promote/launch ecosystem services financing mechanisms Co benefits include: recreation, tourism, wildlife, public health, and drinking water emergency prevention

LSR Proposal Metrics Number of landowners reached Acres of priority watersheds protecting water supplies Funding leveraged from corporate, grant, and local sources Successful implementation of demonstration projects

Upcoming State & Local Meetings AR Forests & Drinking Water Collaborative Meeting (today) TX Forests & Drinking Water Partnership Meeting (Feb. 5-6) FL Panhandle Workshop (Spring 2019) VA Forum (June 2019) AL & GA – Mid-Chattahoochee Study Reporting Meeting

Kitty Weisman, Coordinator Southeastern Partnership for Forests & Water (360) 481–2544 Kitty.Weisman@icloud.com

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION These sectors didn’t know each other before