Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative Getting the Project Underway Michael Collins, AICP Executive Director Conserv : Marketplace for Ecosystem Restoration March 11, 2010

F2F Major Objectives 1.Create F2F Advisory Council 2.Develop PES Protocols 3.Create Priority Areas Methodology and Map 4.Create Landowners Screening Methodology and Screen Landowners 5.Create an F2F Marketing Plan and advertise the initiative

F2F Objectives cont’d 6.Create a Watershed Health Index (WHI) and model pre- and post-project conditions 7.Develop a Cost Benefit Analysis methodology and prepare analysis

F2F Advisory Council The major purpose of the Council is to opine on general aspects of the project. The Council also provides commentary on Administration and Findings of Technical Sessions.

F2F Advisory Council Administration As it is a pure Technical Advisory Group no need for a Chair or rigid committee structure Meets on an ad-hoc basis, probably 3 times in 2010 and once in 2011 and several times in 2012

F2F Technical Sessions Technical Sessions are discussions structured around a particular topic on particular deliverables, that are open to anyone, but geared toward those that have particular expertise Technical Sessions replace committees, they are ad-hoc

F2F Technical Session Topics 1. Ecosystem Service Protocols 2. WHI 3. Prioritization 4. Landowner Screening 5. Cost Benefit Analysis

Ecosystem Service Protocols Practices for payments Payment methodology Payment amounts

Priority Areas Methodology and Map Optimum areas for resilience/water quality enhancement – sediment reduction Based on biophysical conditions (geology, soils, slopes, land cover) and land management conditions Parcels Easements Conservation priority areas

Eligible Landowner Screening Reactive –EQIP eligible –Sensitivity to annual payments –General interest ecosystem services markets –Willingness to transfer forest management responsibilities at sale of property Proactive –Search for eligible landowners through initiative marketing

Create a Watershed Health Index (WHI) and model pre and post conditions Purpose is to model watershed health before and after initiative Methodology probably similar to EPA Rapid Watershed Assessment (RWA) Maybe integrate this with Cost Benefit Analysis!

Cost Benefit Analysis Create methodology Prepare analysis

What is this CBA? This tool should be designed to graphically portray how much a dollar spent on land cover stabilization will achieve in the currency of sediment reduction vs. a dollar spent on dredging for the NEXT reservoir.

What kind of tool would do this? 1.An abstract model using data from other similar situations 2.An abstract model using data from this area

Next Steps Convene Technical Session Request Technical Session Participants