Overflowing Support for Healthy Watersheds
Pacific Forest Trusts’ Healthy Watersheds California project was selected as one of nine proposals (out of over 350 nationwide) to receive funding from the newly launched Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program to “accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds.” The Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program is a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Additionally, we are very pleased that the Kresge Foundation renewed their support for Healthy Watersheds California. Kresge helped launch this innovative approach to increasing water security in a time of climate change through natural infrastructure investments.
Through Healthy Watersheds California, we’re advancing a new approach to permanently safeguard our water supplies by conserving and restoring California’s primary watersheds, increasing water security for millions as the impacts of climate change—and the state’s population—continue to grow. In addition, we’re developing a new policy that integrates watersheds into water systems’ infrastructure and creating a new approach to managing watersheds to protect and restore the whole system. We are also developing a new infrastructure financing approach to leverage private and public capital to restore and conserve seven million acres of watersheds that supply California’s primary reservoirs.
“Protecting watersheds is the first step in ensuring safe, reliable sources of drinking water. Improving management of these lands will benefit wildlife, help maintain rural economies, and reduce threats to communities from floods and the extreme weather associated with climate change,” said Carlton Owen, the Endowment’s President and CEO.
These two grant awards will allow Pacific Forest Trust to accelerate our efforts to integrate California’s critically important watersheds into the built water infrastructure system, ensuring their conservation and restoration. Protecting and enhancing the health of our natural water infrastructure is the most cost-effective means to deliver more and higher quality water to millions of Californians in a warmer and drier climate.
We’re honored to have the support of these organizations!
Related News:
Pacific Forest Trust is currently working with California Assemblymember Richard Bloom on his legislation, AB 2480.