Money, Money, Money: Part 2
Friends of Confluence West -
This Three Drop Thursday builds on our last issue, Money, Money, Money – Making the Case, with more examples of different financing types for headwater forests and climate resiliency.
And, because it’s been a long, tough week for many of us, at the end of today’s Three Drop is the link to the gorgeous film Undamned: Amy Bowers Cordalis and the Fight to Free the Klamath. Our gratitude (and standing ovation) to Amy for her leadership, and to Swiftwater Films and Patagonia.
For the West,
Kimery
Does your organization need to figure out the best next steps to protect a critical watershed? With our 20+ years of experience working on climate, water supply, and forest restoration with water utilities, communities, funders, and NGOs, we can help. Please be in touch!
A small - but loud step – the Met invests in headwater forests
The ‘Big Kahuna,’ aka the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has finally crossed the Rubicon - $200K a year for two years for restoration programs in the headwaters of the State Water Project.
These watersheds are the source of about 30% of the water in the State Water Project. They are also the source of some of the worst recent wildfires in
California.
For decades, the downstream big water agencies (ag and muni) have operated on the assumption that water supply is sourced at the big dams.
Thanks to the determined – and smart - work of many organizations (e.g., Blue Water Forest, Yuba Water Agency, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, among others), the big downstream agencies are starting to pay attention.
A total of $400K isn’t going to set records, but it’s a great step in the right direction. As the Met’s Acting GM said: “If these restoration programs demonstrate that they significantly improve water supply and water quality, it opens the door to working with other large water agencies across the state to make these investments in watershed health on a much broader scale.”
From his lips to any-gods-who-are-listening ears and, kudos Jen Nevills at the Met and her colleagues!
Yo! Westerners - If they can do it on the East Coast
The Nicholas Institute at Duke University has been tracking and assessing case studies on mechanisms used to finance nature-based solutions. One of their recent posts caught our eye:
Through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $421 million to a multistate, nonprofit coalition in the mid-Atlantic to fund NBS projects that reduce carbon emissions and make communities more resilient to natural hazards.
Additional multimillion-dollar CPRG grants are going toward other nature-based solutions, including urban forestry, habitat restoration, brownfield remediation, climate-smart agriculture, natural wildfire mitigation, and urban green infrastructure.
As Sara Mason, one of the lead authors, notes, a critical question remains: How can private capital be leveraged to scale up the impact of these types of public investments?
Si, Si Puede!
If you have seen it (or even if you already have), this film on Amy Bowers Cordalis and the campaign to decommission the four Klamath Dams will make your day. Our gratitude (and standing ovation) to Amy for her leadership, and to Swiftwater Films and Patagonia. Enjoy!
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