Seventh Western Annual Policy Meeting

2007

RVCC Homework Synthesis

Disclaimer

• 61 Organizations responded• First time for on-line survey format• Sustainable Northwest and the Core Group

synthesized responses• Issues presented here do not represent

consensus

Overarching Issues

• Existing Issues– More $$ and institutional support for:

• Comprehensive Restoration• Capacity Building (community and agency)• Collaboration• Biomass utilization

– Appropriate scale throughout– Performance measures as a strategy

Overarching Issues

• Rural Power– Shared lack of frustration over lack ofpolitical power and funding to helprural communities engage in policy.

Overarching Issues

• Emerging Issues– Rural economic development– Climate change– Land conversion– Ranching– Fire suppression budgets

What should the priority of the followingissue areas be for RVCC in 2008?

PriorityHigh Medium Not/Low

Issue Areas Percent

Forest and watershed restoration 83 (49) 14 2

Rural economic development 72 (43) 25 3

Biomass utilization 71 (42) 22 3

Community capacity building 70 (41) 22 9

Sustainable forestry 56 (33) 32 7

Land conversion 52 33 13

Renewable energy 48 36 12

Workforce and labor 41 (24) 36 17

Climate change 41 41 15

Ecosystem services 40 40 17

Contracting (including stewardship contracting) 39 (23) 46 12

Old-growth protection 14 29 51

Green certification systems 12 38 48

Post-disturbance salvage 12 51 29

Non-timber forest products 7 36 53

Immigration 5 10 71

Working Group Preferences

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Other

Immigration

Contracting reform

Workforce and labor

Energy policy

Wildfire cost containment

Multi-party monitoring

Ranching and rangeland issues

Performance measures

Legislative support for forest and watershed restoration

Federal support for capacity building

Community-owned forests

Land conversion

Climate change

Federal appropriations for restoration and community development

Stewardship contracting

Collaboration policies

Biomass utilization

Priority vs. Interest

• Collaboration – High interest, not asked on priorities list

• Stewardship Contracting– High interest, not one of highest priority issues

• Workforce and Labor– Low interest (10), higher relative priority (24)

• Lessons– The question influences the result– Interest and group priorities may not always match– Some things are important, but not right for RVCC

Appropriations/Leg Strategies

• Appropriations/Budget Package• Restoration Legislation• Agency Budget Processes• Legislation for community capacity

building• Fire Suppression Budget

What priority should seeking changes to the federal land management agency budget allocation processes to support the following issues be?

Priority

High Medium Not/Low

Issues PercentIntegration of comprehensive

restoration and community economic development 75 19 2

Collaboration 61 37 2

Community and business capacity building programs 58 26 11

Workforce and Labor

• Best Value Contracting• Worker Safety• High number of “don’t know” responses

Collaboration

• Performance Measures• Funding• Technical Assistance• Guidance to agency staff• Incentives for cross-boundary restoration

Community Capacity Building

• Agency capacity• Capacity building in low-income

communities• Funding for product and market

development

Stewardship Contracting

• Agency Capacity• Scaling contracts for local capacity• Multi-year contracting• Use of retained receipts

Biomass

• Removing administrative barriers to utilization of woody biomass from public lands

• Renewable energy production incentives include woody biomass

• Scale• Capital infrastructure assistance

Private Lands

• Collaboration across ownerships• Land conversion• Shares common priority issues with

ranching

Key Discussion Points

• Stewardship Contracting (25% receipts to counties)

• Ranching• Climate Change• Biomass (renewable energy and thermal energy)• County Payments

– Agreement on support for program– Not as much agreement on details– Uncertain role for RVCC

What federal programs have you used?

0 5 10 15 20 25

Collaborative Forest Restoration Program

EPA

NSF

North American Wetland's Conservation Act

USDA Rural Cooperative Development

Western States Wildland Urban Interface Grant Program

National Forest Foundation

USFWS Partners Program and Private Stewardship Grant Program

Rural Community Development Initiative

Joint Fire Sciences

USDA Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program

County Payments RACs

Black: Survey responses

White: Other programs added by respondents

End

• Thank you.

What is the level of need of your community or organization for the following assistance or training?

Need

High Moderate None/Some

Technical Assistance and Training Percent

Marketing/Utilization of restoration by-products 37 33 20

Biomass utilization and energy production 35 29 33

Land conversion 33 15 37

Accessing carbon markets 28 25 36

Community planning 25 23 42

Ecological/Social/Economic monitoring protocols 21 37 33

Collaboration 16 35 47

Facilitation 16 22 53

Multi-party monitoring 15 42 35

Which of the following on-line organization tools has your organization used?

Google docs20%

Skype7%

Wikis11%

Didn't answer the question/ Don't

know/ Haven't used any of the tools

62%

Other:- Cadastral data- GoTo Meeting - Meeting management software- Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS)- Survey Monkey- WebEx- Webinar- Zoho

Research organization8%

Federal or state land management agency

10%

Regional and national conservation-based

development organization10%

Environmental organization11%

For-profit business11%

Community-based natural resource organization

30%

Elected body2%

Economic development organization

3%

Other federal, state, or local government agency

7%

Tribal entity or Worker organization

0%

Other8%

Other:FoundationIndividualLabor/Environmentalist AllianceNon-profit Trade AssociationProfessional Forestry OrganizationResearch, outreach and education non-profit

Types of Organizations