Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region"

Transcription

1 Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region USDA Rural Development Grant Submitted by Salmon Valley Stewardship September 27, 2014

2 About the Authors Salmon Valley Stewardship (SVS) works to promote a sustainable economy and productive working landscapes in the Upper Salmon River Region of Central Idaho. Sustainable Northwest brings people, ideas, and innovation together so that nature, local economies, and rural communities can thrive. As strong working partners, SVS and Sustainable Northwest strive to find creative solutions to the challenges faced by rural communities and to foster stronger relationships among diverse groups of people. This assessment was made possible through a 2012 Rural Business Opportunity Grant from US Department of Agriculture Rural Development, Restoration Means Jobs in Central Idaho, with matching funds provided by the Brainerd Foundation. Our goal is to develop a better understanding of the role restoration and natural resource stewardship plays in the rural economies of the Upper Salmon River Region. The results of this analysis will provide restoration partners engaged in the project area a better sense of how our collective work is contributing to landscape level change and target areas where we might do better. Acknowledgements Bureau of Land Management Future West Headwaters Economics Idaho Department of Fish and Game Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation Lemhi Regional Land Trust Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation The Nature Conservancy Trout Unlimited US Fish and Wildlife Service Abstract: The completion and dissemination of findings from this assessment will help Salmon Valley Stewardship and the local restoration community to: 1) Foster existing, and identify new natural resource based economic development strategies. 2) Secure and guide investments in stewardship and restoration activities from within the region that link responsible use of natural resources with economic benefit.

3 Contents Executive Summary... 5 Introduction... 9 Regional Economic Trends Traditional Natural Resource Industries Mining Ranching Forestry Recreation Government The Upper Salmon River Region s Restoration Economy Findings Conservation Easements Private Mining Restoration Strategies to Enhance a Restoration Economy Collaboration Funding Local Workforce Federal Contracting Value-Added Processing Restoration Jobs Tracking Conclusion Citations Appendices..36 Page 3 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

4 Acronyms BLM Bureau of Land Management BPA Bonneville Power Administration CFLRP Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program ESA Endangered Species Act GIS Geographic Information System ICL Idaho Conservation League IDFG Idaho Department of Fish and Game IDIQ - indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity IMPLAN - Impact Analysis for Planning LRLT Lemhi Regional Land Trust OSC Office of Species Conservation PCSRF Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund RMEF Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation SCNF Salmon-Challis National Forest SRBA Snake River Basin Adjudication SVS Salmon Valley Stewardship TNC The Nature Conservancy USFS US Forest Service USFWS US Fish and Wildlife Service Page 4 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

5 Executive Summary Central Idaho s Custer and Lemhi Counties are geographically rugged and isolated, sparsely populated, economically challenged, and fantastically rich in natural resources. The lure of mining brought European- American settlers to the area in the mid-1800s. Logging and ranching operations soon followed to support mining. Today, a new economy is forming around restoring natural resources, an important complement to traditional jobs that have sustained these communities for generations. Mining, logging, and especially ranching are still very much a part of the narratives for these two rural counties, but under much different circumstances. Laws that protect air and water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat often trump private property rights. Wildfires are playing a more significant role in rapid, landscape level changes to forests and rangelands. The economics of mining and logging have declined sharply, and scrutiny of public lands grazing has intensified. In recent years, forest, range, and watershed restoration and stewardship activities in the Upper Salmon River Region have been funded primarily from Endangered Species Act (ESA) related environmental mitigation funding, and US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) appropriations. Since the 1990s, federal land management policies and funding priorities have greatly reduced extraction activities on public land. Concurrently, there has been an increased focus on activities to improve forest, range and stream habitat and reducing wildland fire hazards. This analysis focuses on restoration activities in Custer and Lemhi Counties and the hope they offer to the area s intense biodiversity as well as community prosperity. For this assessment we define restoration as activities that promote the recovery and resilience of land and water ecosystems. Here we provide a review of data from partners active in restoration in the region. Response from survey participants shed light on the widespread restoration activities happening in Custer and Lemhi Counties. The report s authors make no claim as to the projects examined being a comprehensive list or a scientifically-based sample of projects. This profile of restoration activities considers 137 restoration projects accomplished from in the Upper Salmon River Region. These projects were implemented on both public and private lands, and included fish passage barrier removal, native plant propagation and re-vegetation, weed eradication, stream channel improvements, water quality assessments, riparian fencing, and conifer removal. We also examined 14 conservation agreements in Custer and Lemhi County on working ranches that establish the landowner s commitment to limit development of their private land and conserve the property s natural values. These properties are protected (or in process of being protected) by conservation easements and include restoration projects that preserve wildlife habitat, protect streams, and retain open space. The 137 restoration projects and 14 conservation easements reviewed represent a total of $58,795,817 spent. The total tracked funding includes $19,150,280 in conservation easements, $27,667,619 in private mining reclamation activities, and $11,977,918 for other restoration projects. Page 5 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

6 Figure 1. Distribution of Workforce Earnings for the Upper Salmon River Region Restoration Activities Out of Region 20,859, % Local 17,219, % Regional 1,566, % There are a variety of ways to think about or calculate the economic value of natural resource restoration activities. For this assessment, the central question posed to the local restoration community was, Who is benefitting from the work? From project records, we tracked the local workforce benefit local being defined as within 100 miles of a project. Local workers and companies, not including federal or state agency employees, earned more than $17.2 million, or approximately 43 percent, of the total $39.6 million spent on restoration and mining reclamation project amounts surveyed for this six year period (Figure 1). The majority of the $19 million invested in conservation easements went to Custer and Lemhi County landowners, and local and regional workers providing services such as surveying and environmental baseline analysis. A slightly different approach is to calculate the broader economic impacts of restoration spending and track it through the local economy. This is done using economic impact assessment tools such as the Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN), tool. SVS partnered with Headwaters Economics (Headwaters Economics) to conduct an economic impact assessment of many of the same restoration projects examined here. This companion project concluded, "Expenditures on documented restoration projects during the study period in Custer and Lemhi counties averaged $6.8 million annually, resulting in an average of $9.1 million in total output each year. On average, restoration activities directly supported 47 jobs and, accounting for local multipliers, a total of 70 jobs in the two counties." (Headwaters Economics 2014). The Headwaters Economics assessment found that the restoration industry in Central Idaho is growing year to year about 14 percent annually. It is also benefiting a wide range of local businesses in industries Page 6 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

7 from agriculture to retail trade. For perspective, Headwaters Economics notes that the components of the restoration industry measured are about half as large as the manufacturing sector (181 jobs in 2011) and slightly larger than the wholesale trade sector (87 jobs in 2011) in Custer and Lemhi counties. The economic impacts of restoration activities are encouraging and meaningful to Upper Salmon River Region communities. However, most of those interviewed thought that while the amount of restoration work benefitting the local workforce was impressive, the amount captured locally could be markedly improved. Suggestions include: Utilize agreements between federal agencies and non-federal partners to reduce contracting barriers. For example, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Partner s program provides funding directly to landowners who then contract needed services to achieve restoration goals. Likewise, endangered species recovery federal funds funneled through the Idaho Office of Species Conservation (OSC) have pumped millions of dollars into the local economies. Create a restoration services directory. Some project managers were not aware of the available skillsets and expertise available in Custer and Lemhi Counties. Publicizing the availability of these services could make it more likely for a local worker to be hired. Provide technical assistance to build business development skills. The Small Business Administration and Idaho Department of Commerce put on Doing Business with the Government workshops annually. However, contractors who attended these workshops report that they left convinced that the hassle wasn t worth it. Federal contracting procedures are navigable for large corporations, but daunting for the sole proprietors more common in these counties. Technical assistance is needed annually for local contractors interested in doing business directly with the government, our area s largest restoration project proponents. Encourage joint ventures between local businesses. In some cases, public land managers or other clients do not have the flexibility to lengthen the duration or phasing of a project. Businesses with a larger workforce tend to capture these shorter duration or larger projects. Local businesses often have only a few employees, and the employees might be seasonal. Joint ventures would accommodate the need for a larger workforce and allow business investments to be spread across several partners. Many entities are engaged in restoration activities in Custer and Lemhi Counties, and none of them track economic data the same way. This issue challenged data collectors and resulted in intensive, one-on-one interviews with organizations who were motivated to see the results, and could find the time and patience to participate. Ten entities provided information at the level of detail needed to determine workforce benefit. Page 7 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

8 The participants and project sponsors in this survey included: BLM, Salmon Field Office Idaho Office of Species Conservation Lemhi Regional Land Trust Salmon Valley Stewardship Trout Unlimited, Idaho Chapter Idaho Department of Fish and Game Private Mining Entities 1 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation The Nature Conservancy of Idaho US Fish and Wildlife Service USFS, Salmon-Challis National Forest 2 1 Coarse data was reported and respondents requested anonymity 2 USFS staff declined to participate in the survey, citing Freedom of Information Act requirements. The data shown for the USFS was collected from the public website Page 8 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

9 Introduction The Upper Salmon River Region is situated in Central Idaho, along the Idaho-Montana border. It includes Custer and Lemhi Counties, and the rural communities of Salmon, Challis, Leadore, Mackay, and Stanley (Map 1). This assessment focuses on the two county area because it aligns with available demographic and economic data. The majority of the region is comprised of public land and small towns that were founded on mining in the late 1800s. With the turn of the twentieth century, agriculture and logging also became cornerstones of these communities, feeding miners and supplying the raw materials for new infrastructure. The Upper Salmon River Region is located along the west side of the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. It features the Salmon River and its headwaters; a large portion of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the second largest protected wilderness in the contiguous United States, and the iconic Sawtooth National Recreation Area. This region is formidable country, isolated by vast wilderness and mountain ranges. Slightly more than 12,000 people live in this arid landscape that spans over four million acres. This region is part of the Salmon sub-basin, within the greater Columbia River Basin. Four distinct watersheds lie within these two counties: the Upper Salmon, Pahsimeroi, Middle Salmon-Panther and the Lemhi (Appendix A). These watersheds comprise the Headwaters Economics and upper reaches of the Salmon River, and support many rural communities that are dependent on natural resources. The Upper Salmon River Region has many defining characteristics. Two factors that heavily influence the area and make this pocket of Central Idaho unique are sparse population and public land abundance (Table 1). In fact the region supports one of the highest percentages of public land (state and federal) in the continental United States. Table 1. Population Densities in the Upper Salmon River Region Land Mass County 2012 Population (square miles) People per square mile Custer 4,340 4, Lemhi 7,762 4, Source: United States (US) Census Bureau, 2012 With a public land base of approximately 92 percent, natural resource use and management drive the economic stability of this region (Table 2). Beginning in the 1980s, federal land management policies shifted, greatly reducing the management activities associated with extractive industries such as timber production and mineral harvest. Coupled with increasing pressures on native wildlife and their habitats, as well as significant changes in wildland fire occurrence and intensity, changes in natural resource management and utilization continue to reverberate across the region as these remote communities struggle to balance economics and environmental stewardship. Page 9 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

10 Map 1. Upper Salmon River Region Overview WA MT ID OR WY MONTANA Salmon IDAHO Lemhi County Salmon Leadore Challis Custer County Stanley Miles USFS BLM Private Land State Land Other Upper Salmon River Region County Line The Upper Salmon River Region is primarily composed of federal land, namely the USFS and the BLM. Most of the private land in the region borders the waterways. Source: US Geological Survey Date created: April 2013 Page 10 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

11 Table 2. Land Ownership in the Upper Salmon River Region Land Ownership Custer County Lemhi County Acres % Acres % State Lands 54, , Private 160, , Bureau of Land Management 803, , Forest Service 2,122, ,062, Total Area 3,141,559 2,923,191 Source: Headwaters Economics, 2013 In recent years, ecological restoration has become an emphasis of most public land management policies as agencies grapple to stretch smaller budgets in a changing environment. With shifting policies, budgets and public sentiment, communities in the Upper Salmon River Region are witness to very real evidence of the changing natural habitat surrounding them. Water availability, wildland fire, invasive and endangered species, and insects and disease are stark reminders that the health of the region s environment is teetering to find balance. Like many Western communities, local leaders, public land managers and private citizens in Custer and Lemhi Counties are working together to find creative solutions to maintaining natural resource productivity while sustaining ecosystems. Collaboration and resource based working groups are bringing public land managers and communities together to support local economies. In the Upper Salmon River Region, the effectiveness of this approach is overwhelming. Collaborative groups such as the Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project and the Lemhi Forest Restoration Group have provided forums for landowners, interested citizens, organizations, and agency personnel to identify and prioritize conservation and restoration projects where shared agreement exists. The extent to which Upper Salmon River Region communities realize economic benefit from restoration depends upon many factors, including the capacity of local businesses to capture work opportunities, contracting mechanisms, and available workforce. When intentionally linked, conservation investments and economic development hold the key to the future vitality of rural communities in the region. Identification of new stewardship opportunities, and the training and growth of a prepared workforce to take advantage of them has tremendous potential to retain and create jobs, contributing to the long-term economic development in the area. The anticipated outcomes of this assessment are two-fold. From this assessment we aim to: 1. Foster existing and identify new natural resource based economic development strategies that are compatible with regional conservation goals. 2. Secure and guide investments in stewardship and restoration activities in the region that link conservation objectives with economic benefit. Page 11 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

12 Regional Economic Trends While blessed with abundant natural riches, Custer and Lemhi Counties struggle economically. Income levels are well below national levels, unemployment rates have remained stubbornly high since the onset of the national recession in 2007, and the number of people living at or below the poverty level is troubling. From according to the US Bureau of Labor, Custer County kept pace with the average per capita income for the State of Idaho. Since 2012, however, Thompson Creek Mine in Custer County has eliminated hundreds of well-paying jobs as they cut back on mining operations. The mining industry s boom and bust cycles have contributed to economic instability for both Custer and Lemhi Counties since gold was discovered in the 1800s. Lemhi County has experienced persistently high unemployment since 2007 when the rate was as low as 4.3 percent (Figure 2). By 2013, Lemhi County unemployment rates were at 9.8 percent. Custer County unemployment rate had risen to 7.8 percent, higher than the state average or 6.1 percent and over double the 2007 low of 3.2 percent (Map 2). In these counties the decline of both the mining and timber industries has greatly impacted the economy. Poverty rates tend to be higher and more persistent in rural areas (Weber 2007). Researchers have suggested that to more effectively alleviate poverty in rural areas, policies should focus attention to locality-based job creation and community capacity building. Local labor markets are more limited, often built around one key industry or product. In the Upper Salmon River Region, these conditions are especially prevalent. Currently, the poverty rate in the Upper Salmon River Region exceeds the national average of 14.9 percent. Custer County counted 18.7 percent of its population living below the poverty rate and Lemhi County 21.2 percent (Map 3). Page 12 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

13 Map 2. Unemployment in the Upper Ravalli Salmon River Region WA Ravalli MT ID OR WY IDAHO 93 Idaho Salmon Lemhi Deer Lodge MONTANA 15 Beaverhead 15 Silver Bow Jefferso Ma Valley Challis «28 Leadore «21 Stanley Custer Clark Boise «Butte Elmore Camas Miles Blaine Jefferson Id Unemployment Rate (%) Upper Salmon River Region Bingham The unemployment rate in Custer (7.8%) and Lemh(9.8%) counties tends to be higher than national (6.3%) and state (6.1%) averages (2013). Source: 2012 American Community Survey and 2013 ID Dept of Labor Date created: May 2014 Page 13 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

14 Ravalli Map 3. Poverty Rate in the Upper Salmon River Region WA OR ID MT WY Idaho Ravalli 93 Deer Lodge MONTANA Silver Bow IDAHO Salmon Lemhi Beaverhead 15 Valley «28 Challis Leadore «21 Stanley Custer Clark Boise 93 Butte Elmore Camas Miles «75 Blaine Jefferson Poverty Rate (%) Upper Salmon River Region The Upper Salmon River Region is a low income area. In 2012, the majority of Custer and Lemhi Counties had a poverty rate that exceeded the national average of 14.9%. Source: 2012 American Community Survey and 2013 ID Dept of Labor Date created: May 2014 Page 14 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

15 LABOR FORCE (INDIVIDUALS) Figure 2. Unemployment Rates and Labor Force of Custer and Lemhi Counties from 2002 to YEAR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (%) Lemhi county labor force Lemhi county unemployment rate Custer county labor force Custer county unemployment rate National unemployment rate Idaho Department of Labor, 2013 Traditional Natural Resource Industries Given the Upper Salmon River Region s remote location and natural amenities, it is not surprising that natural resources are considered vital to the area s economy. In some cases, such as mining, the economic benefits have come with a great deal of uncertainty. In industries such as logging, the loss of infrastructure has closed a door on that chapter of the Upper Salmon s economy. Meanwhile, ranching and recreation operations continue, holding and attracting families to these rural Idaho counties. Page 15 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

16 Mining Since the 1866 discovery of gold at Leesburg, just west of Salmon, and the 1876 discovery at Yankee Fork, west of Challis, mining has remained an important part of the area s culture, even as it has declined as a dominant economic sector. Custer County, established in 1881, was named for General Custer Mine where gold was discovered shortly after the Battle of the Bighorn in eastern Montana. The Thompson Creek molybdenum mine in Custer County, which began operations in 1983, has been a major source of employment and tax revenues in Challis and the surrounding area. In 2012, more than 400 people were employed at Thompson Creek, but a drop in molybdenum prices resulted in a layoff of about one-fourth of their workforce. In 2013, the Idaho Department of Labor estimated Thompson Creek employment at 325. As of the publication of this report, Thompson Creek officials have indicated they are considering mine closure until molybdenum prices rebound. Meanwhile, the closure of Lemhi County s Beartrack gold mine in 1999 marked the end of an era of mining employment in Lemhi County. Beartrack represented the last large mining operation and employer. When the mine closed, an estimated 120 jobs were lost (Barney and Worth 2001). The prospect of a new cobalt mine opening in the same vicinity was dashed in 2013 when, after nearly a decade of regulatory permitting activities, Formation Capital announced that lower than expected cobalt prices meant they were indefinitely postponing plans to go ahead with the Idaho Cobalt Project. This cobalt mine had been predicted to employ 150 workers. Since 2000, mining employment in Lemhi County consists almost entirely of mining reclamation activities, as well as small-scale exploration operations. Ranching Ranching and agriculture, which include private and public land grazing, are an important component of the area s history as well as long-time economic drivers. Raising cattle is the single most significant economic agricultural activity in both Custer and Lemhi Counties (Table 3). In a recent University of Idaho assessment, Economic Development Challenges for Small Towns in Idaho s Butte, Custer, and Lemhi Counties, beef production was estimated to have the highest multiplying effect on jobs and the economy of any sector. For every $1.00 of exported beef, they estimate that another $1.05 in indirect outputs is generated from local labor and locally produced hay. The report further estimates that for every job created in the beef industry directly, another 2.1 jobs are created indirectly (University of Idaho 2012). Table 3. Agriculture Overview in the Upper Salmon River Region 2012 Census Custer County Lemhi County Totals Number of Farms Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold $26,240,000 $32,152,000 $58,392,000 Source: National Agriculture Statistics Service, Page 16 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

17 Forestry Until the mid-1990s, hundreds of people in the Upper Salmon River Region were employed in the forest products industry. National policy shifts that moved away from managing public forests for timber production and in favor of managing for biodiversity resulted in a rapid reduction of logging on National Forest lands (Winkel 2014). Timber harvests on Idaho public lands, declined 87 percent from their peak in 1987 as compared to 2010 (Idaho Department of Labor 2014). Concurrently, sawmills within the region with the capacity to process timber at meaningful volumes have also been significantly reduced. As Susan Charnley, social scientist for the Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station notes, Declining mill capacity has important implications for the ability of federal and private forest owners to produce timber. Mills provide a market for timber; fewer mills mean less competition and lower stumpage prices; and the further the haul distance from the harvest site to the processing facility, the higher the transportation costs and less economical the timber sale, (Charnley 2013). Until the mid-1990s, the Upper Salmon River Region had several small, locally-owned sawmills, beam plants, post-and-pole operations, log home manufacturers, and commercial firewood businesses. The Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy (Barney and Worth 2001) estimated that mill closures in the late 1980s to early 1990s in Salmon alone cost 250 jobs. Remaining forest products businesses in the Upper Salmon River Region are small owner/operator businesses that lack capacity to process timber of any meaningful volume. An exception to this is the Quality Beam laminated wood manufacturing plant about 17 miles east of Salmon. Quality Beam had sales in 2010 of $10.4 million and employed 55 people; however, Quality Beam imports the lumber used in its products from other states. Timber sales on public lands that do not have a restoration objective are unlikely to regain the prominence they had in previous decades. Not only have social values changed, but the economic conditions surrounding commercial timber harvest have changed dramatically. Lack of milling infrastructure, specialized equipment, a qualified workforce and consistent work are severely limiting the capability of effectively conducting these project in the region. The existing capacity of the local workforce to handle larger forest restoration projects, especially those that need to be accomplished in a relatively compressed timeframe, is fairly limited. The infrequency of contract offerings and federally centralized contracting mechanisms create few incentives for local companies to invest in additional capacity to accomplish forest restoration work. As a result, the region has experienced a significant loss of capacity in forestry skills and infrastructure (Appendix B). Recreation The list of recreational opportunities in the Upper Salmon River Region includes a stunning array of activities: hunting, fishing, whitewater rafting, hiking, running, biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, motorcycle and off highway vehicle trail riding, skiing, snowmobiling, hockey, and more. Page 17 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

18 Local merchants and business owners attribute much of the ability to keep their doors open year-round to tourism. A recent profile of the travel and tourism industry within Custer and Lemhi Counties includes retail trade, passenger transportation, arts, entertainment, and recreation, accommodation and food. This 2012 data revealed that 573 people (4.7 percent) employed in Custer and Lemhi Counties benefit from travel and tourism (Headwaters Economics 2012). There have been recent attempts to tie fisheries restoration efforts to recreational economic impacts in the region. A 2005 report predicted that the benefits of fully restored salmon and steelhead fisheries could mean annual benefits of $40.4 million to the City of Salmon, $26.8 million to Challis, and $14.2 million to Stanley (Reading 2005). Statewide, residents and non-residents spent $1.6 billion on wildlife recreation in Idaho in 2011 (US Dept. of Interior 2013). This figure includes hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching, and underscores the value of pristine waters and healthy wildlife habitat to the state and regional economies. Government Federal civilians, military members, state and local government employees combine to make up a significant portion of the workforce in the region, although that number has trended downward in the decade between 2001 and The Salmon-Challis National Forest (SCNF), the Salmon and Challis Field Offices of the BLM, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and the school districts in both Custer and Lemhi Counties are the major employers in the government sector. These entities employ close to 15 percent of the Custer County workforce and over 20 percent of the Lemhi County workforce - with many of the federal and state employees performing natural resource management related work. That equates to approximately one in five jobs locally (Table 4). Page 18 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

19 Table 4. Government Workforce Trend in the Upper Salmon River Region Custer County Workforce Percent Change NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT Local Government % % -2.6% Federal Civilian % % -12.0% State Government % % 0% Military % % -5.9% Custer County Subtotal % % -20.5% Lemhi County Workforce Percent Change NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER PERCENT Local Government % % 4.77% Federal Civilian % % % State Government % % 2.13% Military 31.7% 30.7% -3.23% Lemhi County Subtotal % % % (Headwaters Economics 2013) Page 19 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

20 The Upper Salmon River Region s Restoration Economy This assessment considers projects that meet a commonly accepted definition of restoration, and utilizes information provided by restoration project managers to determine how that work was accomplished and what workforce benefitted. The following definition of restoration is generally accepted and is in broad circulation within public land management agencies. Restoration: The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Ecological restoration focuses on facilitating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem sustainability, resilience, and health under current and future conditions (USFS 2014). We considered the following functional categories of restoration activities: Fish habitat and species restoration Native plant restoration Post-fire restoration Range restoration Water quantity and quality Forest restoration and conservation Noxious or invasive species control Predator conflict abatement Road removal and/or relocation Wildlife and habitat restoration To establish a clear link between conservation investments and economic development in the Upper Salmon River Region, we worked with partners from both conservation and private sector backgrounds to document completed restoration activities, funding sources, and workforce distribution. An invitation was widely circulated to organizations and agencies known to be participating in restoration activities and a kick-off meeting held on April 29, The objectives of the Restoration Means Jobs in Central Idaho project were explained and draft survey questions were shared to solicit input. SVS, Sustainable Northwest, and regional partner Future West revised the survey based on input from the group and released a final online survey instrument June The survey questions are included in Appendix C. During the kickoff meeting, the Idaho OSC offered access to the reporting databases used for restoration projects funded through the Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project. While these data sets were in a different format, they enabled SVS to consolidate a large database of projects that could be utilized to track many of the fish and riparian restoration projects. This data provided an extensive and detailed baseline for partner projects. Ten entities provided information at the level of detail needed to determine workforce benefit. The data shown for the USFS and the BLM were collected from the public website and lacked some of the desired information such as specific project location and whether primary contractors sub-contracted with local, regional, or other workers. Staff from the SCNF declined to participate in the survey, citing Freedom of Information Act requirements. The Salmon Field Office BLM staff confirmed some records for their forest restoration projects where data were readily available. The Challis Field Office BLM did not participate. Page 20 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

21 Where available, spatial information was collected as part of the data collection process. Project locations were entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS) database (Map 4) It is our intent that this mapped project record will foster increased partnering where objectives and boundaries are similar. Entities active in the Upper Salmon River Region who in some way participated in this assessment include: BLM Salmon Field Office Bureau of Reclamation Custer Soil and Water Conservation District Idaho Conservation League/Formation Capital Idaho Department of Fish and Game Idaho Office of Species Conservation Lemhi County Cooperative Weed Management Area Lemhi Forest Restoration Group Lemhi Regional Land Trust Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District Natural Resources Conservation Service Private Mining Entities Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Salmon Valley Stewardship The Nature Conservancy Trout Unlimited Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project US Fish and Wildlife Service To ensure that high quality, consistent data were captured, we used personal interviews with project managers to collect and/or verify the data used in this report. Several entities that have engaged in restoration activities in the Upper Salmon River Region are not included in this assessment. Some of these organizations simply lacked the time and personnel required to complete the in-depth survey or interviews. Page 21 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

22 Map 4. Tracked Restoration Projects in the Upper Salmon River Region WA MT ID Selway Big Hole OR Mid. Fk. Salmon WY Salmon IDAHO Lemhi County M i d d l e S a l m o n - P a n t h e r Salmon Salmon MONTANA U p p e r S a l m o n Challis Pahsimeroi P a h s i m e r o i Lemhi Leadore L e m h i Stanley Custer County Miles Restoration Partners BLM IDFG LRLT OSC RMEF SVS TNC TU USFS USFWS Upper Salmon River Region Subbasins Source: US Geological Survey Date created: April 2013 Page 22 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

23 Findings We examined trends in restoration and its economic impacts in the Upper Salmon River Region from 2008 to During this time, 137 restoration projects and 14 conservation easements reviewed totaled $58,795,817. The tracked funding includes $19,150,280 in conservation easements, $27,667,619 in private mining reclamation activities, and $11,977,918 for other restoration projects. Exact figures of individual landowner payments from conservation easement purchases were not available, and private mining companies provided coarse data on workforce spending indicating that more than $14 million was spent locally. Partners did provide detailed figures on workforce spending for other restoration activities. For this nearly $12 million total in projects, local workers (within 100 miles of project area) earned more than $3 million (25.6 percent) and the regional workforce (within 200 miles of project area) earned more than $1.5 million (13.0 percent). For these same projects, more than $7.3 million (61.3 percent) was spent out of the region (Figure 3, Table 5). The local jobs funded through restoration earnings included heavy equipment operators, weed sprayers, forestry and range technicians, project managers, and scientists. While there was no attempt to quantify federal or state agency salaries earned by residents of Custer and Lemhi Counties in this assessment, government jobs account for 15 percent and over 20 percent of local jobs in these counties, most of these contribute to natural resource management and restoration related jobs. $4,000,000 Figure 3. Restoration Project Funding by Sponsor with Local and Regional Components in the Upper Salmon River Region* $3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $0 BLM ICL IDFG LRLT RMEF SVS TNC TU USFS USFWS Local Benefit Regional Benefit Out of Region *Does not include mining reclamation or conservation easement spending Page 23 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

24 Table 5. Restoration and Conservation Project Funding in the Upper Salmon River Region by Project Sponsor 1 Project Sponsor Total Project Budget Local Benefit Regional Benefit Conservation Easements TNC 12,802,268 82, ,000 LRLT 6,348, , ,583 Total $19,150,280 2 $360,082 3 $267,583 3 Mining Reclamation Total $27,667,619 $14,146,787 $0 Restoration BLM 332,082 10,000 0 ICL 35,000 35,000 0 IDFG 3,549, ,595 5,400 LRLT 438, ,401 4,404 RMEF 560, , ,326 SVS 156, ,129 19,660 TNC 2,083, , ,241 TU 2,683, ,000 75,000 USFS 1,827, , ,971 USFWS 311,097 50,210 75,427 Total $11,977,918 $3,072,676 $1,566,429 1 Local and Regional Benefit includes salaries and project dollars earned by companies for operating costs. 2 Includes payment to landowners. 3 Includes support services for conservation easements, not landowner benefit. Conservation Easements We examined 14 Custer and Lemhi County conservation agreements on working ranches that establish the landowner s commitment to limit development of their private land and conserve the property s natural values (Map 5). These properties are protected by conservation easements and include restoration projects that preserve wildlife habitat, protect streams, and retain open space. A total of $19,150,280 was spent on securing conservation easements within Custer and Lemhi Counties by TNC and LRLT. The vast majority of that funding went to private landowners, enabling them to secure the future of their ranches. Some funding provides salary support for TNC and LRLT staff who help develop the conservation easements and serve as a liaison for private landowners. Other workers who benefit from the process of establishing a conservation easement include real estate appraisers, surveyors, title companies, and scientists who develop environmental baseline reports. During the time period surveyed, approximately $627,665 went to local and regional non-governmental organization (NGO) staff or contractors supporting the conservation easement development process. Page 24 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

25 Map 5. Conservation Easements in the Upper Salmon River Region WA OR ID MT M i d d l e S a l m o n - P a n t h e r IDAHO WY Cole (301 acres) Salmon River Salm on (270 acres) Kenney Creek Ranch (585 acres) McFarland (300 acres) Eagle Valley Ranch (5,112 acres) L e m h i Adams (140 acres) B i g H o l e MONTANA R e d R o c k (758 acres) Tonsmeire Ranch (1,040 acres) (958 acres) (1,378 acres) Lemhi River U p p e r S a l m o n Trout Creek (135 acres) (387 acres) (389 acres) (1,204 acres) (478 acres) Lead ore Challis (1,673 acres) P a h s i m e r o i Miles Easements - Categorized by Steward Lemhi Regional Land Trust The Nature Conservancy Subbasins Upper Salmon River Region There are currently fourteen conservation easements within the Upper Salmon River Region for a combined area of nearly 15,000 acres. Several other agreements are also reportedly being considered. Source: Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Date Created: May 2014 Page 25 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

26 Private Mining Two private mining companies contributed data to this assessment. These companies are currently engaged in both reclamation and monitoring activities. Of the restoration spending reported by these companies, more than 51 percent of the work ($14,146,787) went to local enterprises. The type of work includes road construction and maintenance, environmental assessments, regulatory permitting and water treatment. While markedly reduced, mining activities continue to supply income to regional workers. This work now primarily entails reclamation and restoration rather than extraction. Restoration This assessment represents 137 restoration projects. For these projects, a total of $11,977,918 was spent on restoration from Of this, $3,072,676 (25.6 percent) went to the local workforce and $1,566,429 (13.0 percent) was retained regionally. Restoration work includes a diverse set of activities and skills ranging from installing bridges, placing logs in streams to improve fish habitat, thinning overstocked forest stands, restructuring irrigation systems, and re-vegetating areas with native species. These projects often require more detailed project design, increased oversight by project managers, environmental baseline documentation, intense post project monitoring, and increased environmental permitting. Several non-profit organizations conduct restoration-related work in the Upper Salmon River Region. Those who provided information for this report include the Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and SVS. During the review period these organizations reported employing 10.5 full-time equivalent employees devoted to restoration and conservation activities in the Upper Salmon River Region. Of these employees, all but two reside in the region. Many of the restoration projects represented were accomplished on private lands and working ranches, often on properties with conservation easements in place. On public lands, projects included noxious weed eradication, forest insect and disease control, hazardous fuels thinning treatments, sage grouse habitat improvement, and aspen stand monitoring and enhancement. The Upper Salmon River Region often depends upon the small metropolitan areas of Missoula and Idaho Falls for materials and equipment. When possible, partners provided amounts spent on materials and equipment for restoration projects. Five partners retained enough data to report equipment and material spending on their projects by area. Of these, a total of $ 1,120,831 was spent on 36 projects for materials and equipment, of this $580,323 (51.8 percent) was spent locally. Page 26 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

27 Strategies to Enhance a Restoration Economy While not a comprehensive study of all restoration activities in the Upper Salmon River Region, the projects reviewed and the workforce benefit tracked revealed opportunities and barriers to an enhanced restoration-based economy. Both restoration opportunities and barriers are described in greater detail here and are accompanied by recommended strategies to strengthen this unique area s long-term economic development and health. The Upper Salmon River Region is responding to a changing environment by creating collaborative venues to develop restoration projects with broad support. The presence of threatened and endangered species and a high percentage of public lands creates diverse interests and concerns and opens the region to funding sources not available to all communities. Local workers used to tough jobs in mining, outfitting, and ranching are capable of responding to workforce needs, especially if training opportunities are offered. Barriers encountered in the region include difficult and lengthy federal contracting processes, a lack of awareness of the local restoration skillsets, a lack of processing infrastructure and distance to markets for raw products, an inconsistent flow of restoration work, and inconsistent methods of tracking economic impacts of restoration projects. Collaboration Natural resource management in the region and throughout the West has been marked by decades of intense conflict. Collaborative efforts that bring a diverse range of opinions and expertise to the table are proving more successful in finding common agreement and attracting project funding. The Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project and the Lemhi Forest Restoration Group are two examples of local collaboratives that have been successful in designing restoration projects with broad support. These groups are moving projects forward to achieve on-the-ground results. The Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project is a long-standing grassroots initiative, started by ranchers. It is comprised of the Watershed Advisory Committee, its technical review team is made up of local and regional fisheries experts, who prioritize projects for the OSC coordinated programs. This group is considered a key success factor for Upper Salmon River Region conservation easements and restoration project funding. The Lemhi Forest Restoration Group began collaboration in 2006 for projects on national forest lands. To date they have successfully supported two landscape scale restoration projects and are entering into a third project in the municipal watershed. Communication among these restoration partners has provided a forum for information sharing, collaboration, and leveraged funding and resources. Recommendation: Increase community capacity to engage in collaboration. Provide training to build communication and collaboration skills such as group facilitation. Offer workshops on topics where more shared agreement is needed to reach consensus. Commit funding and resources to the collaborative process, in addition to project support. Page 27 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

28 Encourage participation in collaboration by volunteers and all stakeholders. Get participants out in the field with their partners and provide funding support. Funding In addition to federally appropriated dollars for USFS, BLM, and USFWS programs, the Upper Salmon River Region has access to special funding sources for restoration. The Idaho Governor s OSC coordinates the state's implementation and response to federal ESA species recovery plans. As such, OSC oversees the administration of a significant amount of ESA fisheries funding that flows into the region. Priority habitats identified for these programs result in a concentration of restoration funding for the Lemhi, East Fork of the Salmon and Pahsimeroi Rivers. Three main funding programs administered by OSC include: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA): electric ratepayers contribute to a fish and wildlife mitigation fund intended to address impacts of federal dams in the Columbia River Basin. Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF): provides funding to states and tribes to implement restoration projects in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Alaska. Snake River Basin Adjudication (SRBA): an agreement between the State of Idaho and the Nez Perce Tribe, providing a $60.1 million trust fund for acquiring land and water rights, restoring and improving fish habitat, fish protection, agricultural development, cultural preservation, and water resource development. It also provides a $38 million fisheries habitat fund to implement flow and habitat improvement projects. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act has provided much-needed support to rural counties like Custer and Lemhi whose economies were historically dependent on timber harvest revenue from public lands. The Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee approves projects that can show benefit to National Forest lands, many of these projects fall under a restoration category. Between 2002 and 2012, the Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee reported approving $4.6 million worth of projects. Neither the Salmon-Challis nor the Sawtooth National Forests have accessed Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) funding. In other parts of the state, this funding has provided significant resources for collaboratively designed landscape scale forest restoration projects. The 2014 Farm Bill authorizes billions of dollars for conservation programs aimed at agricultural lands and wildlife, two things the Upper Salmon River Region has in abundance. Many of these programs are channeled through the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The 2014 Farm Bill also includes forest restoration provisions targeted at restoring forests plagued by drought, insects, and disease. Recommendation: Identify and track current restoration funding sources available to Upper Salmon River Region restoration and capitalize on funding authorities. Entities involved in Upper Salmon River Region restoration should have access to, and contribute to, an annual or semi-annual report on restoration funding sources. This would include current information and forecasts of future funding. Page 28 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

29 The Idaho OSC has been extremely effective in delivering ESA fish funding to on-the-ground partners in the Upper Salmon River Region. This model should be examined for other species of concern, such as sage grouse and wolverine. The Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee should be briefed about the economic impacts of restoration and encouraged to continue to support the local restoration economy. Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program funding should be pursued in the Upper Salmon River Region. Local Workforce The Upper Salmon River Region has experienced high levels of unemployment since the national recession hit. Underemployment and those working outside the local area (most especially the North Dakota oilfields) compound the issue. Workers with the skill sets necessary to work in the restoration field struggle to find consistent work throughout the seasons. Mother Nature impacts work availability with high water and flooding one season to low water and drought the next. Wildland fires, which can adversely affect the tourism industry, tend to cycle with a slow season at least once every three to five years. Several restoration skill sets are lacking in the region. These include engineering and design, appraisal and legal services specific to conservation easements, and cultural resource inventory. Native plants and seed, large timber harvest equipment and stream restoration materials are not readily available locally. This results in project managers hiring out-of-area consultants and contractors, and high delivery fees for materials. One promising development in the region is the cross-training of hunting, fishing, and whitewater guides to accomplish restoration tasks. These guides often with experience working in the wilderness -- have tackled physically strenuous jobs such as hand thinning trees and spraying weeds on steep slopes to diversify their employment opportunities and revenue streams. This has enabled companies to employ staff for longer periods of time, making it more likely that workers will stay in the region year-round. Recommendation: Identify existing restoration skillsets in the Upper Salmon River Region and facilitate the expansion of additional restoration skillsets. Create a restoration services directory for the Upper Salmon River Region. Because Custer and Lemhi Counties are so sparsely populated, one might assume that it is necessary to outsource skills. A directory would help raise awareness of the talent bank that has been developed in the region. Identify recreational outfitting businesses based in the region and inquire about their interest in and capacity for developing restoration skill sets. Provide workforce training for forecasted restoration activities and opportunities for cross training. Promote continued training opportunities to help local contractors diversify into areas that are currently going to outside entities. Page 29 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

30 Identify retired agency natural resource specialists who may be interested in contracting or volunteering with restoration projects. Such individuals often stay in the area after retirement and have a deep knowledge base of the area. Develop a system to determine the yield increase resulting from restoration projects that had an onfarm improvement component. For example, participants in ranch and water improvement projects report an increase in production (either livestock or crops) and decreased labor costs. Continue to support the use of Best Value Criteria for contractor selection. Consider that local businesses do not typically require housing or travel funding, they have access to more local resources and expertise, and are more likely to use local infrastructure such as fuel and the hardware store. In many instances. Out of area contractors bring their own general labor workforce, typically camp near the project site and fuel their vehicles and gas cans before they arrive. This is a significant loss to the regional economy, a lost local training opportunity, as well as a loss of potential income to a local seasonal or unemployed worker. Federal Contracting The federal contracting process can be extremely challenging for small rural business interests. This assessment reviewed restoration projects administered by three federal agencies: the BLM, USFS, and USFWS. The BLM and the USFS rely heavily on indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts to accomplish restoration and other contracted tasks. For these agencies, IDIQs help streamline the contract process and are intended to speed service delivery. Few local businesses have successfully gone through the process of applying for the IDIQ contracting register. Contractors cited the time, organizational capacity required and complexity involved with applying as overly burdensome. Ninety-seven percent of the $332,082 tracked in BLM forest restoration projects were awarded to contractors from outside the Upper Salmon River Region. Local contractors captured just 21.7 percent of the more than $1,827,800 in USFS forest restoration projects; regional contractors earned 22.4 percent. When the USFS used a stewardship agreement with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to accomplish forest restoration objectives, they were able to choose contractors using Best Value Criteria that factored in additional points for local benefit, including workforce, materials, and utilization. On this specific project, local workers captured 31.4 percent of the forest restoration work and regional workers realized 44.9 percent of the benefit. Page 30 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

31 Figure 4. Comparison of Contract Type and Economic Benefit for Forest Restoration Projects on the Salmon Challis National Forest 60.0% Percent Earned 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Local Benefit Regional Benefit Outside Region Stewardship Contracts Traditional Contract The USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife funding program successfully provides payments directly to landowners who invest in habitat improvement projects. Eighty-three percent of the materials (primarily fencing) for these projects were purchased locally, and funds spent on labor went overwhelmingly to local and regional contractors (local 37 percent; regional 55 percent). Available data from the inventory and treatment of noxious weeds on National Forest lands show a local workforce benefit. Of more than $267,000 in weeds projects offered by the SCNF, more than 88 percent went to Custer or Lemhi county businesses. While the local workforce fared well in capturing noxious weed work on public lands, contracts to address insect and disease issues did not benefit Upper Salmon River regional workers. This may be due to a lack of qualified applicators in the area. Recommendation: Contractors, non-profit organizations, and agency partners need incentives to maximize employment opportunities of the local workforce. Technical assistance should be provided annually to contractors interested in doing business directly with the government. For those who are not interested in primary contracts, they may be willing to sub-contract their services to larger out-of-area companies. These businesses could be advised as to how to build these relationships. The 2014 Farm Bill permanently authorizes the use of stewardship contracting and agreements. This contracting tool will not fit every project, but should be incorporated where appropriate. Federal agency staff and their local partners should have regular training in the effective and proper use of stewardship contracting and agreements. Grants and agreements have proven to be successful in getting federal dollars to the local workforce. Federal, state, and local restoration partners should participate in annual trainings to master the skills needed to accomplish projects through federal grants and agreements. Page 31 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

32 Encourage federal partners to structure contacts and agreements to support local business capacities. Contract size and duration are important considerations for smaller companies. Breaking a project into smaller phases, tailored to the skills of several local contractors may support a wider range of regional businesses. Value-Added Processing Many of the restoration activities taking place in the Upper Salmon River Region result in by-products, but the lack of value-added processing facilities in the region reduces local benefit and increases costs. Timber harvested from forest restoration projects must be hauled hundreds of miles away to large sawmills. Cattle, often raised by ranchers engaging in stream and rangeland restoration, are trucked to processing facilities in the Midwest, earning the same price per head as cattle raised without conservation considerations. While the return of a large sawmill employing hundreds of people is not likely to happen in the Upper Salmon River Region, other forest products could be processed locally, investment from entrepreneurs will be needed. Although Salmon has maintained one small sawmill, the lack of infrastructure and incentive at this mill severely limits capacity. In the early 2000s, a small hazardous fuels reduction on BLM land within ten miles of the mill resulted in logs being harvested that are still unprocessed in the mill s yard. Elsewhere in the two counties, individuals and family owned businesses are selling firewood, post and poles, and are even exploring the manufacture of biochar as a soil amendment. If the scale of these activities could be encouraged and expanded, they have the potential to increase biomass utilization from forest restoration projects, reduce treatment per acre costs, and create jobs in the area. An initiative to create a meat processing facility has been discussed in the Upper Salmon River Region. This effort could provide Upper Salmon River Region ranchers an option to market not just their livestock but also their conservation practices, potentially earning a premium for their product and keeping more profit in the area. Encouraging local processing of resources is vital to supporting economic health of rural communities. Recommendation: Explore value-added processing options for restoration by-products. Identify Upper Salmon River Region entities currently engaged in forest products value-added processing. Explore additional processing capacity opportunities. Explore the possibility of an integrated wood products campus. Conduct an investment grade feasibility study for a meat processing facility that compliments other local food venues. Develop a market for woody biomass regionally that would add value to the byproducts of restoration. Encourage new and innovative business enterprises that focus on restoration activities to relocate to the region. Page 32 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

33 Restoration Jobs Tracking This assessment explores a restoration industry that has emerged in the Upper Salmon River Region. This industry has developed in response to new funding opportunities and the loss of traditional natural resource industries. For residents and businesses to invest in this restoration, consistent and reliable information needs to be collected so true economic impacts can be considered. The most thorough and largest data sets were provided by OSC, the coordinator for fund allocation from BPA mitigation funding, PCSRF funding, and SRBA funding. Detailed reporting systems were already in place for these programs to track restoration projects within the assessment area. The level of detail and partner buy-in are a key consideration for an economic assessment where multiple sponsors are active in restoration projects. An important outcome of this project is the look our partners had at their own tracking mechanisms and whether they were truly capturing the importance of their projects relative to local benefit. Appendix C includes original survey questions posed to restoration partners at the onset of this project. There are a variety of ways to think about or calculate the economic value of natural resource restoration activities. While this assessment is not a comprehensive study of all restoration activities in the Upper Salmon River Region, it provides a look into the current trends and practices of restoration and their impacts on the local and regional economy. It is intended to provide insight into this emerging economy and its potential to support our rural communities. Concurrent with this project, SVS provided Headwaters Economics with data from this assessment to conduct a slightly different approach that models the broader economic impacts of restoration spending. Headwaters Economics utilized data from the region for the IMPLAN model. IMPLAN is used frequently to help government departments assess the economic impact of federal programs, projects and activities when making policy decisions. The IMPLAN assessment found that the restoration industry is growing year to year and benefitting a wide range of local businesses (Appendix C-2). Recommendation: Entities engaged in restoration activities should adopt a common economic reporting form and commit to sharing data on an annual basis. Adopt a common regional economic tracking template. Encourage the Idaho Department of Commerce and the Custer and Lemhi County economic development entities to participate in and support restoration job tracking with training and communication resources. Engage organizations, including the Custer and Lemhi County Extension Offices, to sponsor an Upper Salmon Restoration Summit. An adoption of an economic tracking template, discussion of contracting policies, and other information sharing pertaining to a restoration economy could be topics of discussion. Page 33 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

34 Conclusion The restoration economy provides an exciting and necessary opportunity to improve our natural and environmental condition, while becoming more self-reliant stewards. The data provided by this assessment shows that the Upper Salmon River Region s economy has benefited from the restoration sector, but there is considerable potential for growth. However, the majority of funding is going to workers who live more than 200 miles from the regions project sites. A variety of local industries including earthmovers, scientists, surveyors, conservationist s ranchers, students and natural resource managers contribute to the ecological restoration process. Local industries not only protect environmental values, but also contribute to regional economic growth and employment. In the Upper Salmon River Region, future investments in stewardship and conservation should seek to better link conservation objectives with local and regional economic benefits. Local community members, invested in the health and stewardship of our area and who already maintain relationships with the environment, land managers and private landowners of the region are a tremendous resource. The capacity to perform technical services, such as environmental assessments, weed and fuel treatments, surveys and ecological monitoring, does exist within the Upper Salmon River Region. A restoration economy focuses on replenishing, reusing, and revitalizing resources. The multiple benefits that come from investing in a restoration economy result in families with jobs and stable incomes, kids in the school system, protection of local industries such as ranching and commerce, a reduction in threats from wildland fire, drought and flooding, and valued recreational opportunities. Page 34 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

35 Citations Barney & Worth, Inc Inland Northwest Economic Adjustment Strategy Case Studies. Charnley, S. and Long, J Science synthesis to promote resilience of social-ecological systems in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station Paper. Ch. 9.5, Managing Forest Products for Community Benefit. Headwaters Economics Economic Profile System Human Dimensions Toolkit. A Profile of Economic Measures for Selected Geographies Lemhi County and Custer County, Idaho. Headwaters Economics Commercial Activities on National Forests. Timber Cut and Sold for Salmon- Challis National Forest. Economicseconomics.org/interactive/national-foreststimber-cut-sold Idaho Department of Labor Labor Market Information. National Agriculture Statistics Service United States Summary and State Data, Volume 1. Geographic Area Series, Part 51, AC-12-A-51. Reading, Don C The Potential Economic Impact of Restored Salmon and Steelhead Fishing in Idaho. Prepared by Don C. Reading, Ph.D. Ben Johnson Associates, Inc. Tallahassee, Florida. Smith, G Idaho Regional Economic Analysis Project. Spelter, H., McKeever, D., and Toth, D Profile 2009: Softwood Sawmills in the United States and Canada. USFS Products Laboratory Research Paper FPL-RP-659. University of Idaho Economic Development Challenges for Small Towns in Idaho s Butte, Custer, and Lemhi Counties. Rodrigues, A., Stringham, T., and Cheyney, C. University of Idaho Extension. Bulletin 878. University of Oregon Economic and Employment Impacts of Forest and Watershed Restoration in Oregon, Ecosystem Workforce Program. US Bureau of Labor Statistics Spotlight on Statistics the Recession of Department of Agriculture Agricultural Statistics Service, Idaho Field Office Idaho Agricultural Statistics. US Census Bureau National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. US Forest Service Restoration Web Page. Weber, B States Role in Alleviating Rural Poverty. Rural Policy Research Institute Newsletter Volume 4, Number 2. Yonavjak, L Now this is what we call green jobs: the restoration industry restores the environment and the economy. Forbes Magazine, Jan 8, 2014 article. Page 35 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

36 Appendix A -1. Lemhi Subbasin B i g H o l e MT Salmo n ID M i d d l e S a l m o n - P a n t h e r Salmon River MONTANA R e d R o c k IDAHO Lemhi River L e m h i P a h s i m e r o i Leadore Miles Restoration Types Aquatic Easement Forest Forest Riparian Wildlife Habitat Subbasins Salmon River Region Cities/Towns Range Page 36 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region The Lemhi River is a vital tributary of the Upper Salmon River and historically important for Snake River spring/ summer-run Chinook and Snake River steelhead. Many restoration projects in this area are focused on improving this habitat. Source: Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Date Created: April 2014

37 Appendix A-2. Middle Salmon Panther Subbasin ID MT B i g H o l e MONTANA IDAHO Salmon M i d d l e S a l m o n - P a n t h e r R e d R o c k Salmon River L e m h i Restoration Types Aquatic Easement Forest Riparian Wildlife Habitat Range Subbasins Salmon River Region Cities/Towns Page 37 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region mhi River Frequent fire patterns have prompted forest restoration projects in the northern section of this area while fisheries issues dominate elsewhere. Source: Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Date Created: April 2014

38 Appendix A-3. Pahsimeroi Subbasin ID r Leadore MT L e m h i IDAHO U p p e r S a l m o n P a h s i m e r o i L i t t l e L o s t Miles Restoration Types Aquatic Easement Forest Riparian Wildlife Habitat Range Subbasins Salmon River Region Cities/Towns Conservationists and ranchers are working together in the Pahsimeroi to address dewatering and other issues impacting this nearly 60-mile high mountain tributary to the Upper Salmon River. Source: Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Date Created: April 2014 Page 38 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region

39 Appendix A-4. Upper Salmon Subbasin MT L o w e r M i d d l e F o r k S a l m o n ID IDAHO U p p e r M i d d l e F o r k S a l m o n Salmon River Challis U p p e r S a l m o n Yankee Fork Stanley Restoration Types Aquatic Easement Forest Riparian Wildlife Habitat Range Subbasins Salmon River Region Cities/Towns Page 39 of 43 - Restoration Means Jobs in the Upper Salmon River Region Miles Although there were few restoration projects reported for this subbasin for , significant restoration work has started in the Yankee Fork tributary and is expected to continue. Source: Lemhi Regional Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Date Created: April 2014

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON ORDER NO. 3336 Subject: Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management and Restoration Sec. 1 Purpose. This Order sets forth enhanced policies and strategies for preventing

More information

The Nature Conservancy Offering Protected Lands for Sale in the Adirondacks Sustainable Forestry to Continue

The Nature Conservancy Offering Protected Lands for Sale in the Adirondacks Sustainable Forestry to Continue News release For immediate release August 21, 2008 Contact: Connie Prickett, (518) 576-2082 x162, cprickett@tnc.org The Nature Conservancy Offering Protected Lands for Sale in the Adirondacks Sustainable

More information

The Greater Sage-Grouse:

The Greater Sage-Grouse: The Greater Sage-Grouse: Hunter opinions regarding potential conservation strategies in Colorado For: National Wildlife Federation October 30, 2014 PO Box 6435 Fernandina Beach, FL 32035 Tel (904) 277-9765

More information

Oregon Juniper and Biomass: Status and Proposed Approach. For Consideration in Conjunction with the AOC Juniper-Use Project Inquiry

Oregon Juniper and Biomass: Status and Proposed Approach. For Consideration in Conjunction with the AOC Juniper-Use Project Inquiry Oregon Juniper and Biomass: Status and Proposed Approach For Consideration in Conjunction with the AOC Juniper-Use Project Inquiry Revised DRAFT November 9 2011 Status There is general agreement that overstocked

More information

Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Colorado Natural Heritage Program CNHP s mission is to preserve the natural diversity of life by contributing the essential scientific foundation that leads to lasting conservation of Colorado's biological wealth. Colorado Natural Heritage

More information

Revising the Nantahala and Pisgah Land Management Plan Preliminary Need to Change the Existing Land Management Plan

Revising the Nantahala and Pisgah Land Management Plan Preliminary Need to Change the Existing Land Management Plan Revising the Nantahala and Pisgah Land Management Plan Preliminary Need to Change the Existing Land Management Plan Throughout the Plan 1. There is a fundamental need for the revised plan to address how

More information

Integration of Forestry & Wildlife Management

Integration of Forestry & Wildlife Management Integration of Forestry & Wildlife Management By Ken Negray Regional Certification Manager, NewPage Corp & member of the KY SIC Committee Abstract: Kentucky SIC (Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation

More information

Chapter 9. Selected Watershed Initiatives in the Great Basin Region

Chapter 9. Selected Watershed Initiatives in the Great Basin Region Chapter 9 Selected Watershed Initiatives in the Great Basin Region The Great Basin contains vast areas of sparsely populated desert lands. Lacking an ocean drainage, the Great Basin is a hydrologic sink

More information

Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation on Our National Forests

Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation on Our National Forests United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service February 2012 Increasing the Pace of Restoration and Job Creation on Our National Forests USDA Forest Service Executive Summary Restoration of our

More information

Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon Creek Watershed. Summary Report 2002

Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon Creek Watershed. Summary Report 2002 Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon Creek Watershed Summary Report 2002 DOE/BP-00005268-5 November 2002 This Document should be cited as follows: "Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon

More information

Restoring Arizona s Forests: Strategies to Accelerate Action. October 3 4, 2013

Restoring Arizona s Forests: Strategies to Accelerate Action. October 3 4, 2013 Restoring Arizona s Forests: Strategies to Accelerate Action Ideas from the Restoration Investment Strategies for Arizona s Forests and Watersheds Conference October 3 4, 2013 Introduction Arizona s diverse

More information

STANDARDS FOR RANGELAND HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR SAGEHEN ALLOTMENT #0208

STANDARDS FOR RANGELAND HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR SAGEHEN ALLOTMENT #0208 STANDARDS FOR RANGELAND HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR SAGEHEN ALLOTMENT #0208 RANGELAND HEALTH STANDARDS - ASSESSMENT SAGEHEN ALLOTMENT #0208 STANDARD 1 - UPLAND WATERSHED This standard is being met on the allotment.

More information

AN INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE

AN INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE L OW E R C A R M E L R I V E R A N D L AG O O N F L O O D P L A I N R E S TO R AT I O N A N D E N H A N C E M E N T P R O J E C T AN INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE FLOOD PROTECTION RESTORE AND PROTECT RIPARIAN

More information

Past and Current Research on Natural Resource Issues in the Blue Mountains

Past and Current Research on Natural Resource Issues in the Blue Mountains Past and Current Research on Natural Resource Issues in the Blue Mountains Recreation, Hunting, Access Livestock Production (and Wild Ungulate Ecology) Restoration Timber Harvest, Production Biodiversity,

More information

TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION...1 Purpose of a Comprehensive Plan...1 McKenzie County Comprehensive Plan...1 Definitions...2 Goal...2 Vision...

TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION...1 Purpose of a Comprehensive Plan...1 McKenzie County Comprehensive Plan...1 Definitions...2 Goal...2 Vision... MCKENZIE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...1 Purpose of a Comprehensive Plan...1 McKenzie County Comprehensive Plan...1 Definitions...2 Goal....2 Vision...3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT...4

More information

Using an All lands Framework for Conservation of Ecosystem Services

Using an All lands Framework for Conservation of Ecosystem Services Using an All lands Framework for Conservation of Ecosystem Services Robert Deal USDA Forest Service - PNW Research Station, Portland, OR Nikola Smith USDA Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region, Portland,

More information

Flood Risk Management

Flood Risk Management Flood Risk Management Value of Flood Risk Management Every year floods sweep through communities across the United States taking lives, destroying property, shutting down businesses, harming the environment

More information

Flood Risk Management

Flood Risk Management Flood Risk Management Value of Flood Risk Management Value to Individuals and Communities Every year floods sweep through communities across the United States taking lives, destroying property, shutting

More information

Key programs and relevant studies

Key programs and relevant studies ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Key programs and relevant studies The Alaska Department of Natural Resources manages Alaska's surface and subsurface resources, except for fish and game. This includes

More information

Quick Guide to Monitoring Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration and Stewardship

Quick Guide to Monitoring Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration and Stewardship Ecosystem Workforce Program Summer 2011 Quick Guide to Monitoring Economic Impacts of Ecosystem Restoration and Stewardship Institute for a Sustainable Environment 2 Quick Guide to Monitoring Economic

More information

Karuk Tribe Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge within Natural Resource Management

Karuk Tribe Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge within Natural Resource Management Karuk Tribe Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge within Natural Resource Management Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) plays a significant role in the Karuk Tribe s approach to natural resource

More information

2010 Salida Community Priorities Survey Summary Results

2010 Salida Community Priorities Survey Summary Results SURVEY BACKGROUND The 2010 Salida Community Priorities Survey was distributed in September in an effort to obtain feedback about the level of support for various priorities identified in the draft Comprehensive

More information

Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Charter. Background

Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative. Charter. Background Charter Background The Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative (Conservation Cooperative) is part of a national network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). LCCs are applied conservation

More information

STATEMENT OF RON HUNTSINGER NATIONAL SCIENCE COORDINATOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT U.S

STATEMENT OF RON HUNTSINGER NATIONAL SCIENCE COORDINATOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT U.S STATEMENT OF RON HUNTSINGER NATIONAL SCIENCE COORDINATOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BEFORE THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES

More information

Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Prineville District Office 35 N.E. 3rd Street Prineville, Oregon 97754 October 23 Draft Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan and Environmental

More information

SAWTOOTH NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND JERRY PEAK WILDERNESS ADDITIONS ACT

SAWTOOTH NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND JERRY PEAK WILDERNESS ADDITIONS ACT PUBLIC LAW 114 46 AUG. 7, 2015 SAWTOOTH NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND JERRY PEAK WILDERNESS ADDITIONS ACT VerDate Mar 15 2010 13:12 Aug 13, 2015 Jkt 049139 PO 00046 Frm 00001 Fmt 6579 Sfmt 6579 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL046.114

More information

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Funding Highlights: Provides $23.7 billion in discretionary resources for the Department of Agriculture to invest in rural communities; nutrition assistance for vulnerable populations;

More information

Case Study: The History of the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership

Case Study: The History of the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership Case Study: The History of the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership Introduction: Wildfire is a part of life in Southwest Colorado. It plays an integral role in ecosystem health and management.

More information

How To Manage Water Resources In The Yakima Basin

How To Manage Water Resources In The Yakima Basin Yakima Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan October 23, 2014 Presented by Derek Sandison, Director Office of Columbia River Photo Courtesy of Tom Ring Basin size: 6,155 sq. miles Population:

More information

LIVING LANDS Helping Land Trusts Conserve Biodiversity

LIVING LANDS Helping Land Trusts Conserve Biodiversity LIVING LANDS Helping Land Trusts Conserve Biodiversity Land Trust Biodiversity Survey, Winter 2006 Purpose of Survey To better understand local land trusts current activities and interest in biodiversity

More information

Lower Crooked Creek Watershed Conservation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Lower Crooked Creek Watershed Conservation Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Project Background Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, Crooked Creek is a major tributary of the Allegheny River, entering near Ford City in Armstrong County. It is rich in natural

More information

CHAPTER 2: APPROACH AND METHODS APPROACH

CHAPTER 2: APPROACH AND METHODS APPROACH CHAPTER 2: APPROACH AND METHODS APPROACH Given Hawaii s biological uniqueness on a global scale, the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) recognizes the importance of protecting all native

More information

Public Land Management and Interdependent Collection of Programs

Public Land Management and Interdependent Collection of Programs FS Agreement Number: 00-SU-11130142-080 MASTER SERVICE-WIDE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING Between the EASTERN LANDS AND RESOURCES COUNCIL THE WESTERN STATES LAND COMMISSIONERS ASSOCIATION And the UNITED

More information

Untreated (left) and treated (right) Sierra Nevada forests in Amador County, CA. Photos: Sierra Nevada Conservancy

Untreated (left) and treated (right) Sierra Nevada forests in Amador County, CA. Photos: Sierra Nevada Conservancy Case Study Mokelumne Watershed, CA and Santa Fe, NM Avoided Costs: The Economics of Watershed Restoration Forested headwaters are the source of much of the West s drinking water. Protecting and restoring

More information

CONTENTS ABSTRACT. KEYWORDS:. Forest ownership, forest conversion.

CONTENTS ABSTRACT. KEYWORDS:. Forest ownership, forest conversion. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... Page PHYSICAL CHANGES IN COMMERCIAL FOREST AREA... 4 Nearly 1 million acres have been lost since 1945... 4 Road construction was leading cause of forest loss in the two states...

More information

Project Theory-Climate Change and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Adaption in the Klamath Basin

Project Theory-Climate Change and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Adaption in the Klamath Basin Project Theory-Climate Change and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Adaption in the Klamath Basin Frank K. Lake Lead Science and TEK Mentor for project Education 1995 B.S. University of California, Davis.

More information

Appendix E: Stewardship Program

Appendix E: Stewardship Program E Appendix E: Stewardship Program This section of the Open Space Plan establishes the basis and provides recommendations for a Stewardship Program for the Wake County Open Space Program. As Wake County

More information

The North State: Implementing the California Water Action Plan February 24, 2014

The North State: Implementing the California Water Action Plan February 24, 2014 The North State: Implementing the California Water Action Plan February 24, 2014 The North State Water Alliance applauds Governor Brown s California Water Action Plan (Action Plan) and his call for comprehensive

More information

Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Plan

Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Plan Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Plan For [Applicant Name] [Insert photo of property] Developed in Cooperation with Jane Doe Habitat Conservation Biologist Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

More information

Socioeconomic Monitoring Plan for the U.S. Forest Service s Eastside Restoration Efforts

Socioeconomic Monitoring Plan for the U.S. Forest Service s Eastside Restoration Efforts Socioeconomic Monitoring Plan for the U.S. Forest Service s Eastside Restoration Efforts ERIC M. WHITE, EMILY JANE DAVIS, AND CASSANDRA MOSELEY WINTER 2015 ECOSYSTEM WORKFORCE PROGRAM WORKING PAPER NUMBER

More information

OUTREACH ANNOUNCEMENT Salmon-Challis National Forest. ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WG-5716-10 18/8 Reply Due: MARCH 20, 2013

OUTREACH ANNOUNCEMENT Salmon-Challis National Forest. ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WG-5716-10 18/8 Reply Due: MARCH 20, 2013 OUTREACH ANNOUNCEMENT ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR WG-5716-10 18/8 Reply Due: MARCH 20, 2013 The will soon be filling a Permanent Seasonal 18/8 Engineering Equipment Operator position stationed in Salmon,

More information

Angora Fire Restoration Activities June 24, 2007. Presented by: Judy Clot Forest Health Enhancement Program

Angora Fire Restoration Activities June 24, 2007. Presented by: Judy Clot Forest Health Enhancement Program Angora Fire Restoration Activities June 24, 2007 Presented by: Judy Clot Forest Health Enhancement Program California Tahoe Conservancy Independent California State Agency within the Resources Agency Governed

More information

WATERSHED COORDINATOR FOR FOURMILE WATERSHED COALITION

WATERSHED COORDINATOR FOR FOURMILE WATERSHED COALITION Position Title: Watershed Coordinator Employment Status: Full-time, Salaried Reports To: Four Mile Fire Protection District Board Location: Salina Station Salary Range: $62,000 to $68,000 WATERSHED COORDINATOR

More information

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SECTION B, ELEMENT 4 WATER RESOURCES. April 20, 2010 EXHIBIT 1

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SECTION B, ELEMENT 4 WATER RESOURCES. April 20, 2010 EXHIBIT 1 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SECTION B, ELEMENT 4 WATER RESOURCES April 20, 2010 EXHIBIT 1 ELEMENT 4 WATER RESOURCES TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.1 INTRODUCTION 4.2 GOALS AND POLICIES 4.2.A General Goals and Policies 1 4.2.B

More information

Multiple Species Conservation Program County of San Diego. A Case Study in Environmental Planning & The Economic Value of Open Space

Multiple Species Conservation Program County of San Diego. A Case Study in Environmental Planning & The Economic Value of Open Space Multiple Species Conservation Program County of San Diego A Case Study in Environmental Planning & The Economic Value of Open Space Amy M. Fox Land Use Law Case Study Autumn Semester, 1999 Multiple Species

More information

UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN NETWORK VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING PROGRAM

UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN NETWORK VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING PROGRAM UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN NETWORK VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING PROGRAM The Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) includes nine parks with significant natural resources in the states of Idaho, Montana,

More information

4. Priority Areas of Conservation

4. Priority Areas of Conservation 4. Priority Areas of Conservation A. SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE AREAS This Open Space and Farmland Plan identifies the key issues facing open space and agricultural resources in the Town, highlights the location

More information

21st International Conference of The Coastal Society

21st International Conference of The Coastal Society 21st International Conference of The Coastal Society MARINE STEWARDSHIP AREA OFFERS A MODEL FOR INTEGRATING SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, STEWARDSHIP AND ECOSYSTEM THINKING IN THE CONSERVATION OF COASTAL RESOURCES

More information

Natural Resource-Based Planning*

Natural Resource-Based Planning* Natural Resource-Based Planning* Planning, when done well, is among the most powerful tools available to communities. A solid plan, based on good natural resource information, guides rational land-use

More information

CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL. Staff Recommendation March 11, 2011 STATEWIDE SCIENCE INTEGRATION AND MARINE PROTECTED AREA MONITORING PROGRAMS

CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL. Staff Recommendation March 11, 2011 STATEWIDE SCIENCE INTEGRATION AND MARINE PROTECTED AREA MONITORING PROGRAMS CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL Staff Recommendation March 11, 2011 STATEWIDE SCIENCE INTEGRATION AND MARINE PROTECTED AREA MONITORING PROGRAMS File No.: 08-123-02 File No.: 06-090-02 Project Managers:

More information

JOB DESCRIPTION. GS-11 $46,006 - $59,801 Annual/Full Benefits GS-12 $55,138 - $71,679 Annual/Full Benefits

JOB DESCRIPTION. GS-11 $46,006 - $59,801 Annual/Full Benefits GS-12 $55,138 - $71,679 Annual/Full Benefits OPEN: CLOSE: OR UNTIL FILLED EXEMPT NON-EXEMPT_X_ JOB DESCRIPTION POSITION: RESPONSIBLE TO: SALARY: FLUVIAL GEOMORPHOLOGIST Senior Aquatics Biologist GS-11 $46,006 - $59,801 Annual/Full Benefits GS-12

More information

Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011

Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011 Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 2011 American Community Survey Briefs By China Layne Issued January 2013 ACSBR/11-21 INTRODUCTION From December 2007 to June 2009, the United States experienced an economic

More information

864 653-7224 SFI INC. LAUNCHES NEW STANDARD LEADS FOREST CERTIFICATION FORWARD

864 653-7224 SFI INC. LAUNCHES NEW STANDARD LEADS FOREST CERTIFICATION FORWARD FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rick Cantrell January 12, 2010 SFI Vice President and COO 864 653-7224 SFI INC. LAUNCHES NEW STANDARD LEADS FOREST CERTIFICATION FORWARD WASHINGTON Sustainable Forestry Initiative

More information

First Annual Centennial Strategy for. Yucca House National Monument

First Annual Centennial Strategy for. Yucca House National Monument First Annual Centennial Strategy for Yucca House National Monument August 2007 Year: 2007 Vision Statement Yucca House National Monument was set aside in 1919 to preserve an unexcavated Ancestral Puebloan

More information

Lemhi County. Sources for information reported on this page are on page v. Definitions of chart terminology can be foundin the glossary.

Lemhi County. Sources for information reported on this page are on page v. Definitions of chart terminology can be foundin the glossary. glossary. Page I. County Characteristics Square Mileage:,55,.8 City & County.% State.% Percent of Total Land Ownership Private 8.% Federal 9.% Population Per Square Mile 98 99 Total,,899,8,9 Per Sq Mile..5..

More information

DISTRICT VALUES STATEMENTS, GOALS, ACTION ITEMS, AND ONGOING TASKS FOR 2015 Adopted by the Board of Directors December 10, 2014. Values Statements.

DISTRICT VALUES STATEMENTS, GOALS, ACTION ITEMS, AND ONGOING TASKS FOR 2015 Adopted by the Board of Directors December 10, 2014. Values Statements. DISTRICT VALUES STATEMENTS, GOALS, ACTION ITEMS, AND ONGOING TASKS FOR 2015 Adopted by the Board of Directors December 10, 2014 Values Statements. The Board opposes any new transfers of water from the

More information

Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department Forestry Division 2015 Work Plan

Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department Forestry Division 2015 Work Plan Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department Forestry Division 2015 Work Plan Personnel: Forest Administrator 1.00 FTE County Forester 0.80 FTE Director 0.06 FTE Department Clerical

More information

Chapter 1b - Priority Map Development

Chapter 1b - Priority Map Development North Carolina s Forest Resources Assessment A statewide analysis of the past, current and projected future conditions of North Carolina s forest resources 2010 Chapter 1b - Priority Map Development This

More information

Roaring Fork Valley Restoration Strategy

Roaring Fork Valley Restoration Strategy Roaring Fork Valley Restoration Strategy Future Forest Roundtable Future Forest Roundtable Roaring Fork Valley Restoration Strategy T he restoration strategy in the Roaring Fork Valley of the White River

More information

Drought Response Program: Draft Funding Criteria for Review and Comment

Drought Response Program: Draft Funding Criteria for Review and Comment Drought Response Program: Draft Funding Criteria for Review and Comment U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Program February 2015 Summary In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the Bureau

More information

Appendix A: Contractor Survey

Appendix A: Contractor Survey Appendix A: Contractor Survey Interview Questions About the Business Name of the business/proprietor: Number of Employees: Time in existing location: General Work Please describe the type of work have

More information

The Rising Cost of Fire Operations: Effects on the Forest Service s Non-Fire Work

The Rising Cost of Fire Operations: Effects on the Forest Service s Non-Fire Work 1 The Rising Cost of Fire Operations: Effects on the Forest Service s Non-Fire Work Overview Over 100 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt established the U.S. Forest Service to manage America s 193-million

More information

Proposal to the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG)

Proposal to the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) Proposal to the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) Request that the TAMWG recommend that the Trinity River Restoration Program fund BLM to purchase the Weigel parcel at Gold Bar (river mile

More information

Salmon-Challis National Forest Salmon and Challis Field Offices Idaho Falls District BLM

Salmon-Challis National Forest Salmon and Challis Field Offices Idaho Falls District BLM Central Idaho Interagency Fire Center 2011 Annual Report Salmon-Challis National Forest Salmon and Challis Field Offices Idaho Falls District BLM OVERVIEW Central Idaho Interagency Fire Center (CIFC) provides

More information

How To Know What You Want To Know

How To Know What You Want To Know Survey Results of the American Public s Values, Objectives, Beliefs, and Attitudes Regarding Forests and Grasslands DEBORAH J. SHIELDS, INGRED M. MARTIN, WADE E. MARTIN, MICHELLE A. HAEFELE A Technical

More information

SEC. 4001. PURPOSE. SEC. 4002. DEFINITIONS. SEC. 4003. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROGRAM.

SEC. 4001. PURPOSE. SEC. 4002. DEFINITIONS. SEC. 4003. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROGRAM. TITLE IV--FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION SEC. 4001. PURPOSE. The purpose of this title is to encourage the collaborative, sciencebased ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes through a process

More information

National Association of State Foresters Forestry Performance Measures for the United States REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

National Association of State Foresters Forestry Performance Measures for the United States REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) National Association of State Foresters Forestry Performance Measures for the United States REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Request for Proposals Date: January 19, 2015 Proposal Submission Deadline: 5:00 pm

More information

Post-Flood Assessment

Post-Flood Assessment Page 1 of 7 Post-Flood Assessment CHAPTER 4 AGENCY COORDINATION Agency coordination is an essential element for the operation of the flood management systems in the Central Valley. Due to the nature of

More information

Idahoans Without. Health Insurance. A Data Report

Idahoans Without. Health Insurance. A Data Report Idahoans Without Health Insurance A Data Report Idahoans Without Health Insurance A Data Report Data analysis conducted by Boise State University under contract to the Idaho Department of Commerce as part

More information

Oregon. Climate Change Adaptation Framework

Oregon. Climate Change Adaptation Framework Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework Oregon Environmental Quality Commission Climate Change Adaptation Framework Presentation at a glance: Purposes of the framework Participating agencies Climate

More information

Summary of the Second College Grant Master Plan

Summary of the Second College Grant Master Plan 1 Summary of the Second College Grant Master Plan Dartmouth College owns and manages 27,000 acres of woodland in the Northern Forest region of New Hampshire, near Erroll, New Hampshire and the Maine state

More information

Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction 2013-2015 Capital Budget Approved by Legislature in June 2013

Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction 2013-2015 Capital Budget Approved by Legislature in June 2013 Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction 2013-2015 Capital Budget Approved by Legislature in June 2013 1. Design alternatives for large capital flood projects (basinlevel water retention and Interstate

More information

Divided Lands: State vs. Federal Management in the West

Divided Lands: State vs. Federal Management in the West Divided Lands: State vs. Federal Management in the West by Holly Fretwell and Shawn Regan Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) Bozeman, Montana Working Paper PERC Public Lands Report February

More information

Management Plan Template For Conservation Easements Held by CPW

Management Plan Template For Conservation Easements Held by CPW Management Plan Template For Conservation Easements Held by CPW The following template provides guidelines for developing a management plan for a property that will have a Conservation Easement held by

More information

State Noxious Weed Laws, Lists, Regulations and Policies

State Noxious Weed Laws, Lists, Regulations and Policies State Noxious Weed Laws, Lists, Regulations and Policies Below is a list of state contacts. Please contact individual States Departments of Agriculture for the most current laws, regulations and state

More information

LEAGUE NOTES ON APPROVED COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY PLAN

LEAGUE NOTES ON APPROVED COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY PLAN 1 AUGUST 2011 LEAGUE NOTES ON APPROVED COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY PLAN KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN: 1. Replace the existing unsafe Ragged Mountain dam with a new dam and raise the reservoir pool level initially

More information

Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA)

Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT MEDFORD DISTRICT OFFICE GRANTS PASS RESOURCE AREA 2164 NE SPALDING AVENUE GRANTS PASS, OR 97526 Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA) Office: Grants

More information

Testimony of Diane Vosick, Director of Policy and Partnerships

Testimony of Diane Vosick, Director of Policy and Partnerships Testimony of Diane Vosick, Director of Policy and Partnerships The Ecological Restoration Institute, Northern Arizona University http://www.eri.nau.edu/ Before the House Federal Lands Subcommittee April

More information

STREAMFLOW RESTORATION PRIORITY AREAS

STREAMFLOW RESTORATION PRIORITY AREAS STREAMFLOW RESTORATION PRIORITY AREAS Synopsis The Water Resources Department and the Department of Fish and Wildlife jointly identified priority areas for streamflow restoration in basins throughout the

More information

Impact of Agriculture on Wyoming's Economy By Brett R. Moline, Research Associate Robert R. Fletcher, Professor David T.

Impact of Agriculture on Wyoming's Economy By Brett R. Moline, Research Associate Robert R. Fletcher, Professor David T. Impact of Agriculture on Wyoming's Economy By Brett R. Moline, Research Associate Robert R. Fletcher, Professor David T. Taylor, Professor Cooperative Extension Service Department of Agricultural Economics

More information

Clean Water Services. Ecosystems Services Case Study: Tualatin River, Washington

Clean Water Services. Ecosystems Services Case Study: Tualatin River, Washington Viewed broadly, the concept of ecosystem services describes the many resources and services provided by nature. Typically, traditional planning and development practices do not adequately represent the

More information

COORDINATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LARRY BENTLEY NATURAL RESOURCE AND POLICY SECTION CONSULTANT WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

COORDINATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LARRY BENTLEY NATURAL RESOURCE AND POLICY SECTION CONSULTANT WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COORDINATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LARRY BENTLEY NATURAL RESOURCE AND POLICY SECTION CONSULTANT WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CRMP IN WY0MING

More information

FORESTED VEGETATION. forests by restoring forests at lower. Prevent invasive plants from establishing after disturbances

FORESTED VEGETATION. forests by restoring forests at lower. Prevent invasive plants from establishing after disturbances FORESTED VEGETATION Type of strategy Protect General cold adaptation upland and approach subalpine forests by restoring forests at lower Specific adaptation action Thin dry forests to densities low enough

More information

Series 2016A-2 (Green Bonds) Final Proceeds Allocation April 2016

Series 2016A-2 (Green Bonds) Final Proceeds Allocation April 2016 Series 2016A-2 (Green Bonds) Final Proceeds Allocation April 2016 James L. McIntire Washington State Treasurer Summary The State of Washington offered green bonds to investors in September 2015, with approximately

More information

MANAGEMENT DIRECTION STATEMENT May, 1999

MANAGEMENT DIRECTION STATEMENT May, 1999 Kootenay District AAGEET DIRECTIO STATEET ay, 1999 for Akamina-Kishenina Provincial Park inistry of Environment Lands and Parks BC Parks Division Table of Contents I. Introduction A. Setting and Context...1

More information

Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Program

Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Program Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Program Manual for Counties and Cities Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 2015 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Purpose of the habitat program Objective

More information

FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS (WO) WASHINGTON, DC

FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS (WO) WASHINGTON, DC Page 1 of 36 ` FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS (WO) WASHINGTON, DC Interim Directive No.: 2409.19-2004-1 Effective Date: January 28, 2004 Duration: This interim directive expires on 07/28/2005.

More information

CHAD R. GOURLEY SPECIALTY EMPLOYMENT

CHAD R. GOURLEY SPECIALTY EMPLOYMENT CHAD R. GOURLEY P.O. Box 919 Verdi, Nevada 89439 phone 775.345.9960 cell 775.250.8140 chad_gourley at att.net SPECIALTY Restoration of riverine, spring, and wetland ecosystems, specializing in a process

More information

IF THEN SURVEY RESULTS

IF THEN SURVEY RESULTS IF THEN SURVEY RESULTS BUILDING TOWARDS A REGIONAL VISION Survey Summary April 2013 BACKGROUND In the spring of 2011, the Piedmont Triad undertook an ambitious, 3-year planning effort designed to strengthen

More information

Chapter 3 Planning Issues, Opportunities, and Constraints

Chapter 3 Planning Issues, Opportunities, and Constraints Chapter 3 Planning Issues, Opportunities, and Constraints Introduction This chapter describes the key factors planning issues, opportunities, and constraints that influenced development of this RMP/EA.

More information

Section 4 General Strategies and Tools

Section 4 General Strategies and Tools Section 4 General Strategies and Tools Key planning issues for WRIA 35 have been identified in Sections 5 and 6 in the areas of water supply, instream flow, water quality, and aquatic habitat. General

More information

Fish and Wildlife. Service. FWS Funding

Fish and Wildlife. Service. FWS Funding Fish and Wildlife Service Mission The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit

More information

PA Trees.org The Pennsylvania Tree Resource Guide Managing Community Forests

PA Trees.org The Pennsylvania Tree Resource Guide Managing Community Forests PA Trees.org The Pennsylvania Tree Resource Guide Managing Community Forests History of Trees in Communities Records of intentional tree planting in cities extend back to 1400 BC in Egypt. In the 1500

More information

Integrating Landscape Restoration and CWPP

Integrating Landscape Restoration and CWPP Integrating Landscape Restoration and CWPP Two approaches: One or more CWPP embedded in a larger landscape to achieve multiple objectives CWPP that encompasses a larger landscape to achieve multiple objectives

More information

Ecosystem Workforce Program

Ecosystem Workforce Program Ecosystem Workforce Program W O R K I N G P A P E R S Monitoring Innovative Contracting on the Malheur National Forest Did Local Communities Benefit? EWP WORKING PAPER NUMBER 12, SUMMER 2006 Jacquelyn

More information

Revision of Land and Resource Management Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest;

Revision of Land and Resource Management Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest; This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 06/30/2016 and available online at http://federalregister.gov/a/2016-15525, and on FDsys.gov [3410-11- P] DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

More information

Communities and Fire Restoration. The Role of Communities in Restoring Fire as a Natural Process

Communities and Fire Restoration. The Role of Communities in Restoring Fire as a Natural Process Communities and Fire Restoration The Role of Communities in Restoring Fire as a Natural Process Overview 1. Frequent fire regimes dominate approximately 65% of the lower 48 states, although regional variations

More information

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Division of Forestry

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Division of Forestry MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Division of Forestry Other major programs: Private Forest Management Urban and Community Forestry Insect and Disease Management Urban and Community Forestry

More information

MATCHMAKERS, EVALUATORS, LIBRARIES, AND NETWORKS: ONLINE RESOURCES FOR LANDOWNERS AND PRACTITIONERS

MATCHMAKERS, EVALUATORS, LIBRARIES, AND NETWORKS: ONLINE RESOURCES FOR LANDOWNERS AND PRACTITIONERS PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FACT SHEET SERIES MATCHMAKERS, EVALUATORS, LIBRARIES, AND NETWORKS: ONLINE RESOURCES FOR LANDOWNERS AND PRACTITIONERS FACT SHEET ELEVEN SPRING 2013 This fact sheet series

More information

Memorandum (ISAB 2013-2) July 22, 2013

Memorandum (ISAB 2013-2) July 22, 2013 Independent Scientific Advisory Board for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Columbia River Basin Indian Tribes, and National Marine Fisheries Service 851 SW 6 th Avenue, Suite 1100 Portland,

More information