Stewardship Protocols for Encampments on Conservation Lands Stu Watson – Lands Manager

Forterra Lands Portfolio 50 properties 95 CEs 16,000 acres 13 counties 5 properties with on-going encampment issues Forterra is a sustainability organization that focuses on land conservation, which has traditionally been: farms, forests, and habitat acquisitions Green Cities Urban land banking – affordable housing – keeping people off the streets and in homes My job is the most traditional land trust role focusing entirely on land management and CE monitoring Which puts me at the forefront of addressing homeless encampments on our lands As you can see I have a huge portfolio…

What Should We Do? Encampments are an unavoidable feature of the landscape How do we address this issue in a humane, sustainable, and effective manner? Should untrained staff enter encampments? Is training available? What to do about volunteers? How to handle hazardous waste? It’s not humane or sustainable to remove campers w/o a plan or access to social services, only to have them return to the streets in a matter of hours It’s also not humane to ignore encampments and leave them on our lands

The Costs of Encampments Unsafe and inhumane for campers Social costs Public health & safety; dissuade public use/enjoyment of green spaces Environmental costs Water quality; vegetation damage; soil compaction; hazardous waste Living outdoors is not ideal, especially in cold/wet winters in unsanitary conditions with physical/mental health issues & substance abuse Especially the case in underserved communities with limited green space

The Costs of Encampments (cont.) Staff time 100+ hours managing 1 encampment Economic costs Clean up & prevention extremely expensive Money lost from other efforts at Forterra (ex. affordable housing projects) Equivalent of 20 WCC restoration days 3% of lands portfolio is demanding 20% of resources (time & budget) Annual work plan only allows 10 hrs. at that site 10x over my allotted time on-site = other areas suffer from neglect Spent $25,000+ on clean up efforts; total annual budget for all lands $150,000 3% is being generous; by acres it’s 0.00006% taking up 20% of resources I can’t afford to spend $25k on clean up efforts, so I have to make decisions about what to ignore

BORROWED HEAVILY FROM CITY OF SEATTLE – THANK YOU! Save detailed discussion of matrix for informal discussion time Outlines some of the major categories that a lands manager should weigh when considering what to do. the start to a framework/protocol for approaching/planning/managing camps. Useful as a discussion tool with supervisors/decision makers. WHEN to take action and when NOT to; WHICH action to take – and associated costs/risks PITFALLS: Dehumanizes the situation & doesn’t provide a long-term solution; just a stop-gap measure

What Has Worked Communicating with campers Be KIND Be HONEST Remember – you’re walking into their home Look official – wear orange vest Identify yourself Ask them if they’re okay/safe Notify them they’re on private property Ask them if they want to be connected to services Thank them for cleaning up after themselves Provide garbage bags Explain purpose of property & why camping is an incompatible use Tell them the plan & timeline

What Has Worked (cont.) Work with local law enforcement If they have specialized homelessness unit Work with social services Clean up abandoned camp debris Prevent vehicle access Social Services & Law Enforcement already overwhelmed so very slow response time Debris attracts camps and illegal dumping If possible clean up during DRY weather

What Not To Do Removing campers and encampments without a plan Fencing ($30/linear foot) Forterra is not comfortable with volunteer patrol or clean up

Prevention and Dissuasion Increase monitoring visits (bi-weekly at minimum) Volunteer patrol Encourage responsible public use of property Work with local businesses and community members Security guards are cheaper than you think if you find the right one (MOST COST EFFECTIVE), when public use is not an option 2 hrs. after big cleanup new tents already on property

Stu Watson – Lands Manager, Forterra Needs & Other Ideas County hotline phone number Training for enviro/restoration staff & volunteers Provide trash receptacles and sharps containers? Homeless folks as land stewards Sanctioned tiny home villages Both: provide housing and a job on conservation corps Stu Watson – Lands Manager, Forterra swatson@Forterra.org 206-905-6954