Weekly Column: Investing In America's Forests And Watersheds

Natural resources and the environment are best protected through collaborative efforts at the local level. We must support watershed restoration projects that encourage collaboration in small, rural and disadvantaged communities and Tribes without exerting federal control over private lands. I recently joined in introducing the Headwaters Protection Act to invest in America’s forests and watersheds by expanding two key U.S. Forest Service (USFS) programs that together prevent water pollution at the source, improve the health of our watersheds and ensure investments benefit downstream communities.

The health of Idaho’s headwaters—the sources of Idaho’s rivers, lakes and aquifers—is of critical importance. They sustain communities, tribal heritage, ecosystems, wildlife habitat, abundant agricultural production, growth, recreation and so much more.

The USFS has two key authorities to manage our forests for watershed health: the Water Source Protection Program (WSPP) and the Watershed Condition Framework (WCF). The WSPP invests in projects that prevent water pollution at the source by encouraging farmers and ranchers, water utilities, Tribes, local governments and the USFS to work in partnership to restore forest health and impaired watersheds. The WCF establishes a consistent process at the USFS to evaluate the health of watersheds and ensure investments benefit downstream communities.

The Headwaters Protection Act I joined U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) and Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) in introducing would improve the WSPP by increasing and expanding access to funding and directing the program to prioritize local, collaborative partnerships to protect forests and watersheds. It would also create dedicated funding for WCF and make a technical change to the program to ensure management activities in our National Forests do not lead to the long-term degradation of our watersheds.

Specifically, the Headwaters Protection Act would:

• Reauthorize the WSPP and increase the authorization of appropriations for the program;
• Broaden the range of water users who can participate in and benefit from the WSPP;
• Reduce financial barriers for water users to participate in the WSPP;
• Prioritize WSPP projects that benefit drinking water quality and improve resilience to wildfire and climate change;
• Make a technical change to the WCF to ensure healthy watersheds do not become degraded; and
• Authorize new appropriations for the WCF.

I look forward to enactment of this legislation that will improve federal resources for public-private partnerships to ensure clean drinking water for our communities and the health of the landscapes that provide these essential, life-sustaining sources.

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