Talking Money – Wildfire, Water & Forest Health
Flagstaff’s $12M+ for Forest Restoration – and the not-so-secret sauce
Friends of Confluence West -
Busting Up A Myth
There’s a longstanding myth in the American West that municipal bond underwriters aren’t interested in “soft” water projects (i.e., forest and headwaters restoration) but only “hard” water projects (i.e., human-built infrastructure).
Flagstaff, Arizona’s story, shows that you can, in fact, secure those bonds.
Our new briefing paper: Talking Money - Wildfire, Water & Forest Health looks at two questions:
First question: How did Flagstaff raise over $12 million to restore and protect the forests that provide most of its water supply?
Second – and the more timely - question: With the Flagstaff bond initiative being a great success, why haven’t other utilities and municipalities followed in Flagstaff’s footsteps?
The Flagstaff model demonstrates that the template works; what Western communities need now is the political will to replicate it before the next wildfire season makes the decision for them.
A few years ago, Confluence West studied which municipalities and utilities rely, wholly or partially, on water from headwater National Forests. We identified 73 Western communities that meet this criterion.
The question for municipal leaders and water agency boards is no longer whether watershed protection makes financial sense. Flagstaff, Denver Water, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, Eugene Water, and so many others can easily answer that question.
If you want to know how Flagstaff’s “not-so-secret-sauce” approach could work for your utility or municipality, we can help. Please get in touch!
For the West,
Kimery
💧💧💧
💧💧💧
Many excellent NGOs, water utilities, tribes, Nations, communities, and public agencies are working to protect rivers and forests in the American West from the (sometimes overwhelming) challenges posed by climate change. We are proud to partner with many of them.
Why support and work with Confluence West? Since 2007, we've learned that long-term, equitable solutions require dedicated and talented people from every sector, issue area, perspective, expertise, and culture to bring their part of the elephant, their truth, to the table.
We build and lead projects that connect diverse decision-makers who, in turn, create science- and evidence-based campaigns. Check out our work! Or, email Kimery.
Please support Confluence West (aka Carpe Diem West!) Since our founding in 2007, we've been building successful alliances and campaigns and bringing new climate science and opportunities to put innovative, sustainable regional water projects into motion in the American West.
You can read about our current projects and the ones we're developing. Thanks for your support!
Confluence West: Innovative Solutions for the Western Water Community. Learn more