highlights of homework synthesis
TRANSCRIPT
Seventh Western Annual Policy Meeting
2007
RVCC Homework Synthesis
Disclaimer
• 61 Organizations responded• First time for on-line survey format• Sustainable Northwest and the Core Group
synthesized responses• Issues presented here do not represent
consensus
Overarching Issues
• Existing Issues– More $$ and institutional support for:
• Comprehensive Restoration• Capacity Building (community and agency)• Collaboration• Biomass utilization
– Appropriate scale throughout– Performance measures as a strategy
Overarching Issues
• Rural Power– Shared lack of frustration over lack ofpolitical power and funding to helprural communities engage in policy.
Overarching Issues
• Emerging Issues– Rural economic development– Climate change– Land conversion– Ranching– Fire suppression budgets
What should the priority of the followingissue areas be for RVCC in 2008?
PriorityHigh Medium Not/Low
Issue Areas Percent
Forest and watershed restoration 83 (49) 14 2
Rural economic development 72 (43) 25 3
Biomass utilization 71 (42) 22 3
Community capacity building 70 (41) 22 9
Sustainable forestry 56 (33) 32 7
Land conversion 52 33 13
Renewable energy 48 36 12
Workforce and labor 41 (24) 36 17
Climate change 41 41 15
Ecosystem services 40 40 17
Contracting (including stewardship contracting) 39 (23) 46 12
Old-growth protection 14 29 51
Green certification systems 12 38 48
Post-disturbance salvage 12 51 29
Non-timber forest products 7 36 53
Immigration 5 10 71
Working Group Preferences
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Other
Immigration
Contracting reform
Workforce and labor
Energy policy
Wildfire cost containment
Multi-party monitoring
Ranching and rangeland issues
Performance measures
Legislative support for forest and watershed restoration
Federal support for capacity building
Community-owned forests
Land conversion
Climate change
Federal appropriations for restoration and community development
Stewardship contracting
Collaboration policies
Biomass utilization
Priority vs. Interest
• Collaboration – High interest, not asked on priorities list
• Stewardship Contracting– High interest, not one of highest priority issues
• Workforce and Labor– Low interest (10), higher relative priority (24)
• Lessons– The question influences the result– Interest and group priorities may not always match– Some things are important, but not right for RVCC
Appropriations/Leg Strategies
• Appropriations/Budget Package• Restoration Legislation• Agency Budget Processes• Legislation for community capacity
building• Fire Suppression Budget
What priority should seeking changes to the federal land management agency budget allocation processes to support the following issues be?
Priority
High Medium Not/Low
Issues PercentIntegration of comprehensive
restoration and community economic development 75 19 2
Collaboration 61 37 2
Community and business capacity building programs 58 26 11
Workforce and Labor
• Best Value Contracting• Worker Safety• High number of “don’t know” responses
Collaboration
• Performance Measures• Funding• Technical Assistance• Guidance to agency staff• Incentives for cross-boundary restoration
Community Capacity Building
• Agency capacity• Capacity building in low-income
communities• Funding for product and market
development
Stewardship Contracting
• Agency Capacity• Scaling contracts for local capacity• Multi-year contracting• Use of retained receipts
Biomass
• Removing administrative barriers to utilization of woody biomass from public lands
• Renewable energy production incentives include woody biomass
• Scale• Capital infrastructure assistance
Private Lands
• Collaboration across ownerships• Land conversion• Shares common priority issues with
ranching
Key Discussion Points
• Stewardship Contracting (25% receipts to counties)
• Ranching• Climate Change• Biomass (renewable energy and thermal energy)• County Payments
– Agreement on support for program– Not as much agreement on details– Uncertain role for RVCC
What federal programs have you used?
0 5 10 15 20 25
Collaborative Forest Restoration Program
EPA
NSF
North American Wetland's Conservation Act
USDA Rural Cooperative Development
Western States Wildland Urban Interface Grant Program
National Forest Foundation
USFWS Partners Program and Private Stewardship Grant Program
Rural Community Development Initiative
Joint Fire Sciences
USDA Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program
County Payments RACs
Black: Survey responses
White: Other programs added by respondents
End
• Thank you.
What is the level of need of your community or organization for the following assistance or training?
Need
High Moderate None/Some
Technical Assistance and Training Percent
Marketing/Utilization of restoration by-products 37 33 20
Biomass utilization and energy production 35 29 33
Land conversion 33 15 37
Accessing carbon markets 28 25 36
Community planning 25 23 42
Ecological/Social/Economic monitoring protocols 21 37 33
Collaboration 16 35 47
Facilitation 16 22 53
Multi-party monitoring 15 42 35
Which of the following on-line organization tools has your organization used?
Google docs20%
Skype7%
Wikis11%
Didn't answer the question/ Don't
know/ Haven't used any of the tools
62%
Other:- Cadastral data- GoTo Meeting - Meeting management software- Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS)- Survey Monkey- WebEx- Webinar- Zoho
Research organization8%
Federal or state land management agency
10%
Regional and national conservation-based
development organization10%
Environmental organization11%
For-profit business11%
Community-based natural resource organization
30%
Elected body2%
Economic development organization
3%
Other federal, state, or local government agency
7%
Tribal entity or Worker organization
0%
Other8%
Other:FoundationIndividualLabor/Environmentalist AllianceNon-profit Trade AssociationProfessional Forestry OrganizationResearch, outreach and education non-profit
Types of Organizations