July 2011
Perspectives on New Watershed Program
Greetings!
A big focus of Carpe Diem West’s Healthy Headwaters Project is on how federal funding can be re-directed to protect and restore the key watersheds in the West that provide clean water to cities downstream.
Last month, we saw a prime opportunity when the U.S. Forest Service rolled out the first stage of its ambitious new Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) program, which the agency will use to identify watersheds that will be given highest priority in allocating funds for on-the-ground restoration work. Since that rollout, the Healthy Headwaters Working Group has been working with lead staff in the Chief’s office to map out how Carpe Diem West’s strong and unconventional alliance of water utilities, conservationists, scientists, and community leaders can engage with all levels of the Forest Service to help shape WCF program priorities.
This month, we spoke with Anne Zimmermann, the Forest Service’s Director of Watersheds, Fish, Wildlife, Air & Rare Plants, about the WCF program and how it will guide the agency’s restoration priorities. We also spoke with Karl Morgenstern, the Drinking Water Source Protection Coordinator for the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), about the potential he sees from the perspective of a municipal water utility.
Regards,
Kimery
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Kimery Wiltshire |
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An Interview With Anne Zimmermann
Q. The Forest Service is placing an increasing emphasis on the importance of water and watershed management. What role will the Watershed Condition Framework play in implementing this priority on the ground? AZ: One of the Forest Service’s primary purposes in the original 1897 Organic Act was to “provide favorable conditions for water flows.” And we interpret that to mean providing high-quality water to the people of the United States. Not just by putting a pipe in the ground, but by providing a healthy, resilient system of watersheds through which clean water flows.
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An Interview With Karl Morgenstern
Q: As a public utility manager, why are you interested in the Forest Service’s new Watershed Condition Framework? KM: It really boils down to how we work with the Forest Service to determine what activities will take place on the ground in our municipal supply watersheds. In the case of our local Forests – the Willamette and Deschutes – we really like the direction they are going. The Watershed Condition Framework is another step toward helping the Forest Service understand the differences between individual watersheds, and how to set priorities for restoration work. What we’d like to see the Forest Service do is overlay the municipal source watersheds on top of the Watershed Condition Framework maps, and use that to help us focus on getting some things done in the areas that really need it. |
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