Urban Waters PartnershipMobilizing to Restore Urban WatershedsPARTNERS IN COMMUNITY FORESTRYDANA COELHO & TRACY STANTONNOVEMBER 19, 2015

Today’s Agenda1. Collective Impact2. Urban Waters Federal Partnership3. Seattle, WA – Green-Duwamish Watershed4. Denver, CO – South Platte River Watershed5. Moving Forward

2 of 27

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

Collective Impact: Elements Common agenda Shared measurement systems Mutually reinforcing activities Continuous communication Backbone support organization

4 of 27

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

5 of 27

5

National initiative, local roots

6 of 27

Green-Duwamish WatershedSeattle & King County, WA

South Platte River WatershedDenver, CO

Green-Duwamish UWP

7 of 27

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

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

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

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

Green Cities Research Alliance

12 of 27

Sustainable cities through science, policy, and citizen action

UW Remote Sensing &

Geospatial LabParks & Recreation

Division

City of Seattle

University of Washington

USDA Forest ServicePacific NW Research Station

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

Projects: Citizen Stewardship Assessments

Citizen Stewardship Motivations Stewardship Mapping of Organizations

14 of 27

Projects: Public Health Research

Green Cities: Good HealthScience Delivery

Urban Forest & Human Health BenefitsTree loss & resident health

15 of 27

www.greenhealth.washington.edu Donovan et al. 2013. Journal of Preventive Medicine

Research Themes & Accomplishments

16 of 27

Wolf, 2013

Natural Resources

Assessment

Forest Landscape Assessment Tool

Socio-Ecological Systems :: Landscape Gradient

Futu

re

Appl

icati

ons

Rese

arch

The

mes

an

d Ac

com

plish

men

tsURBAN WATERS

PARTNERSHIPENVIRONMENTAL

JUSTICEGREEN

INFRASTRUCTURESTEWARDSHIP

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

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

South Platte River UWP

18 of 27

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

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

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

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

South Platte River UWP: Projects

The Water Connection Denver Metro Water Quality Assessment

23 of 27

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

Moving Forward: Success Integration and collaboration Anchor partners Ambassador / facilitation Signature projects Start up funds / leveraging resources Adaptive work plan

25 of 27

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

Thank You! Dana Coelho US Forest ServiceRocky 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