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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 2016 South Carolina Forests & Drinking Water Forum
2018 Accomplishments
Strategic Plan & Messaging Strategy
Website:
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

9. 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)

10. 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)

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

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