The Urban Waters Partnership: Blending Watershed Restoration and Community Forestry
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The document discusses the Urban Waters Partnership, a national initiative that works locally to restore urban watersheds through collective impact. It describes two partnership sites in detail - the Green-Duwamish Watershed in Seattle and the South Platte River Watershed in Denver. At both sites, the partnership brings together multiple organizations and agencies to pursue common goals like water quality improvement, reconnecting people to waterways, and promoting environmental justice through collaborative projects.
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The Urban Waters Partnership: Blending Watershed Restoration and Community Forestry
- 1. Urban Waters Partnership Mobilizing to Restore Urban Watersheds PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY FORESTRY DANA COELHO & TRACY STANTON NOVEMBER 19, 2015
- 2. Today’s Agenda 1. Collective Impact 2. Urban Waters Federal Partnership 3. Seattle, WA – Green-Duwamish Watershed 4. Denver, CO – South Platte River Watershed 5. Moving Forward 2 of 27
- 3. Collective Impact: Essence “Large scale change requires broad cross-sector coordination, yet the social sector remains focused on isolated interventions.” (Kania & Kramer 2011) Means to address complex social & environmental problems Involves many organizations with similar goals, independent actors judged collectively 3 of 27
- 4. Collective Impact: Elements Common agenda Shared measurement systems Mutually reinforcing activities Continuous communication Backbone support organization 4 of 27
- 5. Urban Waters Federal Partnership 5 of 27 5
- 6. National initiative, local roots 6 of 27 Green-Duwamish Watershed Seattle & King County, WA South Platte River Watershed Denver, CO
- 7. Green-Duwamish UWP 7 of 27
- 8. Green-Duwamish UWP: Basics Designated in 2013 Only UWP site in Pacific Northwest Federal partners: • USFS, PNW Research • USFS, State & Private Forestry • EPA • NRCS 8 of 27
- 9. Green-Duwamish UWP: Goals Promote conservation, clean water Promote cross-agency partnerships Reconnect people to their waterways Advance social equity & environmental justice Promote local economic benefits & jobs 9 of 27
- 10. Collective Impact Model Working through existing multi- stakeholder initiatives: WRIA (Water Resource Inventory Area) 9 PSP (Puget Sound Partnership) Regional Open Space Strategy Green Cities Research Alliance Local/regional government Local/regional NGOs 10 of 27 Opportunity triage: Investing in Natural “Green” Infrastructure Nature/Health Nexus Green-Duwamish as a research landscape Incorporating Social Equity and Environmental Justice
- 11. Projects to Date Duwamish River Blueprint – WRIA9, EPA, USFS Re-Vegetation Strategy – WRAI 9, King County, Tribes, NGOs Duwamish Valley Youth Corps – DRCC/TAG Inventory of Existing Activities across the Watershed (a mapping tool) Green Infrastructure and Human Health – King County, GCRA, UW Healthy River/Healthy Communities – DRCC/TAG Middle Green Riparian Restoration, Fish-Farms-Floods– EPA, USFS, NRCS Ecosystem Services Valuation and Framework – Earth Economics 11 of 27
- 12. Green Cities Research Alliance 12 of 27 Sustainable cities through science, policy, and citizen action UW Remote Sensing & Geospatial Lab Parks & Recreation Division City of Seattle University of Washington USDA Forest Service Pacific NW Research Station
- 13. Projects: Urban Forest Assessments Forest Ecosystem Values (i-Tree) – City of Seattle Forest Landscape Assessment Tool – King County 13 of 27 All King County parks & open spaces Sampling all of Seattle
- 14. Projects: Citizen Stewardship Assessments Citizen Stewardship Motivations Stewardship Mapping of Organizations 14 of 27
- 15. Projects: Public Health Research Green Cities: Good Health Science Delivery Urban Forest & Human Health Benefits Tree loss & resident health 15 of 27 www.greenhealth.washington.edu Donovan et al. 2013. Journal of Preventive Medicine
- 16. Research Themes & Accomplishments 16 of 27 Wolf, 2013 Natural Resources Assessment Forest Landscape Assessment Tool Socio-Ecological Systems :: Landscape Gradient Future Application s ResearchThemes and Accomplishments URBAN WATERS PARTNERSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STEWARDSHIP OUTCOMES Ecosystem Restoration Civic Stewardshi p Ecosystem Services Human Health & Well Being iTree Forest Ecosystem Values Urban Resources Monitoring Restoration Economics Stewardship Mapping Volunteer Stewardship Engagement Urban Foraging Forest Ecosystem Values Urban Agriculture Residential Choice Location Green Cities: Good Health Urban Forest Health Outcomes Completed projects 2009 - present
- 17. Salmon, Trees, Habitat, Water, People, Economy “When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.” – John Muir 17 of 27
- 18. South Platte River UWP 18 of 27
- 19. South Platte River UWP: Basics Launched in 2011 Lead organizations • USFS, EPA • CO State Forest Service • The Greenway Foundation 50+ fed, state and local government agencies, NGOs, private business, Universities 19 of 27
- 20. South Platte River UWP: Goals WATER AWARENESS: Engaging communities in discovering the value of their urban water resources. WATER PROTECTION: Protecting critical watershed areas that affect the water supply for Denver metro communities. WATER QUALITY: Partnership efforts within the community lead to improved health of the watershed and improved water quality. 20 of 27
- 21. South Platte River UWP: Projects Urban forestry grants – tree planting and maintenance, invasive plant removal, education CO Natural Capital – watershed-wide green infrastructure & ecosystem services assessment 21 of 27
- 22. Projects: Bluff Lake Nature Center “Through this experience I gained focus on my career goals and priorities. How do I expect to save the world when my own back yard is in bad shape?” – Bernarda 22 of 27
- 23. South Platte River UWP: Projects The Water Connection Denver Metro Water Quality Assessment 23 of 27
- 24. South Platte River UWP: Projects Rocky Mountain Watershed Protection Partnerships – restoration, reducing wildfire and erosion risks, water quality Get Outdoors Colorado – recreation, urban outreach, education, green jobs 24 of 27
- 25. Moving Forward: Success Integration and collaboration Anchor partners Ambassador / facilitation Signature projects Start up funds / leveraging resources Adaptive work plan 25 of 27
- 26. Moving Forward: Resources for You Urban Waters Partnership Handbook Urban Waters Learning Network EPA Urban Waters Small Grants NFWF 5 Star / Urban Waters Restoration Grants And more to come… 26 of 27
- 27. Thank You! Dana Coelho US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region Golden, CO dcoelho@fs.fed.us 303-275-5231 Tracy Stanton Green-Duwamish Urban Waters Partnership Seattle, WA tstanton@me.com 301-520-0668 27 of 27 www.urbanwaters.gov
Editor's Notes
- The Urban Waters Partnership uses collective impact to engage communities in the protection and restoration of urban watersheds. The goal of the partnership--to help reconnect people with their watersheds--will be highlighted through the work of two pilot sites: the South Platte River Watershed in Denver, CO, and the Green-Duwamish River Watershed in Seattle, WA. Learn how these partnerships actively engage nontraditional partners in community forestry, watershed restoration, public health and economic development.
- Why, Who, What Benefits/Outcomes/Value
- Describes large scale RESEARCH projects as well, especially COMPLEX systems and paradigms, like ECOSYSTEM SERVICE Alternative to many organizations working INDEPENDENTLY toward similar goals, “isolated impact”.
- Success requires dedicated staff separate from the participating organizations with a very specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative. Three key roles (project manager, data manager, facilitator) GCRA “Patchwork” Backbone Funding went to the research/fieldwork Structure and organizing was voluntary PNW Station salaries and outreach Primarily voluntary participation in each role
- 14 federal agencies, 23 non-profit organizations Drivers – Why was the Urban Waters Federal Partnership founded? By whom? Partners – Who is part of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership? Benefits – What are the benefits to being a part of the partnership? What resources are available to others with similar interests? in network: peer network, funding/competitive bump in some grant processes, tools and resources out of network: tools and resources Born out of a call for more effective coordination across federal agencies and programs. Formally launched in 2011
- In each local story, please be sure, up front to establish the frame about the major partners and to put some emphasis on the Forest Service role. I know we are one of the team, and we all have sharing collaborative spirits. But, I think in this venue, we need to tell the story in a way that does showcase the FS role, the State Forestry role, and the U&CF -connection. Common Agenda Research, Seattle urban environmental sustainability Jobs, practitioner collaboration Shared Measurement Systems ARRA: Jobs, tools, and training PNW: Research, pubs, reports, outreach, events Mutually Reinforcing Activities UW Data portal/sharing, GIS, OneHub Continuous Communications Monthly meetings, events, OneHub Backbone Support Organization . . .
- In each local story, please be sure, up front to establish the frame about the major partners and to put some emphasis on the Forest Service role. I know we are one of the team, and we all have sharing collaborative spirits. But, I think in this venue, we need to tell the story in a way that does showcase the FS role, the State Forestry role, and the U&CF -connection. Mission: The South Platte River Urban Waters Partnership collaborates across jurisdictions and disciplines to engage communities, and to protect and restore the South Platte River and Watershed Launched in 2011 Common Agenda Water quality, water protection, water awareness Green infrastructure framework Shared Measurement Systems Mutually Reinforcing Activities Denver Metro Water Quality Assessment Natural Capital Assessment Continuous Communications Quarterly meetings, regular emails, working group meetings Backbone Support Organization The Water Connection
- What is Denver’s story? History: Named one of the first UWP pilots in 2011 Attracted partners and began hosting meetings Hired “ambassador” housed within CSFS Transferred coordination to local organization, The Greenway Foundation Funding for projects and coordinator from USFS, EPA, CSFS Working on three main projects: Water Quality Assessment, first edition complete this December (main idea: sharing water quality data in an understandable and relevant way with the public) The Water Connection, gave the reigns to our ambassador and TGF to think creatively about this new local organization (main idea: institutionalize UWP in the local sphere, explore niche) Natural Capital Assessment, working with CSFS (main idea: spatial prioritization of partnership projects, linking urban and rural investments) Grant projects: Urban Waters Small Grants Round 2: Denver Department of Public Works, Wastewater Management – $60,000 Urban Waters Small Grant from EPA. The Denver Department of Public Works, Wastewater Management, will continue and expand the Keep It Clean-Neighborhood Environmental Trios (KIC-NET) outdoor classroom model developed by environmental education nonprofit, Earth Force, in the impaired South Platte River and tributary watersheds. The program is expected to help meet pollutant source mitigation needs to protect the South Platte River and Cherry Creek watersheds while adding value to communities and schools. Groundwork Denver – $60,000 Urban Waters Small Grant from EPA. Groundwork Denver will develop a Community Stewardship Network, which is expected to improve the water quality of and accessibility to the area surrounding Bear Creek. A key component of this project is the Master River Steward Job Training program, which will engage youth from Denver and Sheridan. These stewards will participate in water quality sampling and engage the broader community through education, outreach, stewardship activities, and recreation activities in the watershed. Outputs to be tracked include job training hours, water quality samples collected, households and businesses reached, volunteer hours, and stakeholders joining a Community Stewardship Network. Urban Waters Small Grants Round 1: Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Association-$60,000 Urban Waters Small Grant from EPA This May 2012 award provided funding to Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Association (BMW) to bring together the nine watershed associations in the Denver metropolitan area, along with Metropolitan State University of Denver's One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Sustainability (OWOW) and Water 2012 to develop effective, unified, and comprehensive clean water messages for a coordinated public outreach campaign (including outreach to communities of color and low-income communities) that partners can implement. Partners have developed a common messaging campaign around dog waste and phosphorus fertilizer. The City of Aurora, the City and County of Denver, and the Colorado Stormwater Council will be using the messages in their public outreach activities. The grant has been completed. Work is ongoing to expand the messages state wide. Messages, logo, and a video on the grant and lessons learned can be found at http://www.barr-milton.org/ Earth Force Inc.- $60,000 Urban Waters Small Grant from EPA This 2012 award provided funding to Earth Force to work with Denver Public Works and Denver Public Schools to develop Outdoor Classrooms that reach 750 youth and result in stewardship of the South Platte River. The project, Keep It Clean: Neighborhood Trios (KIC-NET), included teacher training workshops and development of an educational toolkit for outdoor classrooms. The grant has been completed, however, the project is being continued and expanded in a new EPA Urban Waters Small Grant. This work has been selected to receive the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education’s 2014 Environmental Education Award for Excellence in the Best New Program category. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnx3BWWnJ0 Urban Forestry: The Colorado State Forest Service awarded a total of $100,000 to four projects to restore and protect Denver area waterways, while reconnecting local populations with their invaluable water resources. Projects funded involved the removal of invasive species and planting of native trees in riparian and wetland areas. Project funding was made available to the CSFS Urban and Community Forestry Program through a USFS grant resulting from the Urban Waters Federal Partnership to improve and restore crucial Denver-area waterways using urban forestry methods to involve local communities in the stewardship of these areas, and to showcase these projects for replication in other urban areas with degraded waterways. The four projects in Colorado that received funding in 2012 were: City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation ($50,442), Institute for Environmental Solutions ($20,000), South Suburban Parks and Recreation ($20,000), Bluff Lake Nature Center ($9,050). All of the projects except for Denver are complete. Urban forestry value: Has helped raise the profile of urban forestry in Colorado, linking our investments in Denver and surrounding communities with broader state and federal agency goals for watershed conservation and restoration. Built a strong partnership among USFS, CSFS, and EPA. Fostering integration of planning at various levels (forest action plan, water quality, city sustainability) Value to FS – partnership model, prioritization, watershed restoration, reaching urban populations
- We’ve summed up various iterations of mission and goal statements into three key areas: Water awareness, water protection, and water quality. Each of the projects the group is undertaking touches on one or more of these focus areas.
- Urban Forestry: The Colorado State Forest Service awarded a total of $100,000 to four projects to restore and protect Denver area waterways, while reconnecting local populations with their invaluable water resources. Projects funded involved the removal of invasive species and planting of native trees in riparian and wetland areas. Project funding was made available to the CSFS Urban and Community Forestry Program through a USFS grant resulting from the Urban Waters Federal Partnership to improve and restore crucial Denver-area waterways using urban forestry methods to involve local communities in the stewardship of these areas, and to showcase these projects for replication in other urban areas with degraded waterways. The four projects in Colorado that received funding in 2012 were: City and County of Denver Parks and Recreation ($50,442), Institute for Environmental Solutions ($20,000), South Suburban Parks and Recreation ($20,000), Bluff Lake Nature Center ($9,050). All of the projects are complete. State and Private Forestry competitive grant: The Leadership Team put together an application for US Forest Service (USFS) State and Private Forestry grant funds to craft a green infrastructure plan for the river corridor and watershed that documents high value natural resources and prioritizes investments in conservation, restoration, recreation, and education. The $300,000 grant is expected to be awarded to the Colorado State Forest Service during FY2015. .
- “Planting trees has given me a sense of pride and accomplishment… I love working outdoors and contributing to making Colorado a better place to live.” – Armando
- Rocky Mountain Watershed Protection Partnerships: The USFS Rocky Mountain Region has been working with municipal water providers and corporate partners along the Front Range of Colorado to restore and foster the resiliency of forests within key watersheds. The goals are to mitigate the effects of the pine beetle epidemic, reduce the risk of severe impacts from wildfires, maintain water quality, and restore areas burned by past wildfires in critical watersheds on over 40,000 acres of National Forest System and private lands. For the Denver Water partnership, the Region will continue work to prepare and finalize the fifth annual collection agreement for FY2015 project implementation. This agreement is anticipated to secure $5.5 million in additional funds from Denver Water in support of the partnership five-year operating plan, including approximately $1.6 million that will be used for work on non-federal lands in priority watersheds in partnership with Colorado State Forest Service. The Region will also continue working on a project opportunity list for fiscal years 2016-2020 to inform potential renewal of the Denver Water partnership agreements in 2015 for another five years. Get Outdoors Colorado: In celebration of Earth Day 2013, the USFS and Get Outdoors Colorado launched a new website called GetOutdoorsColorado.org to give people thousands of opportunities to explore and experience Colorado. The new website is an online springboard to all outdoor activities and events in Colorado. The website is free for organizations sharing their information and events, and for the public to search activities and to create a customized membership for outdoor interests. The interactive website is an outcome of a years’ worth of collaboration between USFS, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, GP RED, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, Colorado Kids Outdoors, The Denver Botanic Gardens, The Colorado Parks and Recreation Association, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many others. The website now has more than 160 partners posting activities in 25 different categories throughout 20 counties across the state. The website is also fully integrated on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pintrest) to allow for greater connectivity statewide.
- Integrating across organizations and interests Finding common ground – water Collaboration as the new normal – lots of different coalitions to work with, need to invest in coordination and capacity Leveraging resources (Coordinated Investment)