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Watershed Resiliency Stewards Program

March 22, 2016
by Jeff Adams

Watershed Resiliency Stewards Program

Proposal by Jeff Adams, Terrasophia LLC

Vision:
Develop and implement a multifaceted Watershed Resiliency Stewards program to inspire, support, and celebrate individual and community action for a healthy, resilient watershed. Through collaborative community efforts, and capitalizing on international recognition as a tourist destination, Moab will be positioned as a hub for drylands permaculture, watershed regeneration, and community resilience. The program will serve as a model for other communities as it engages people in retrofitting public spaces and their home neighborhoods, as well as inviting citizens into the larger watershed for restoration projects. Through this approach, strong linkages between urban, rural, and wild landscapes will be fostered.

Through experiential education and technical assistance, citizens will develop proficiency in “reading the landscape” and skills in applying low-cost, low-tech, shovel ready solutions for becoming active stewards of watershed health and resiliency. Opportunities will be created to engage people in restoring and regenerating the places they work, play, live and visit. Focusing first on understanding ecosystem processes and practices at the landscaping scale will build the eco-literacy of the citizenry, which will then be expanded to the larger watershed.

In 2016, with funding from Climate Solutions University, an inventory of public sites will be conducted.  The sites will be prioritized based on their potential for landscape retrofits that benefit water quality and conservation, habitat enhancement, aesthetics, and public enjoyment.  Working with the appropriate public agencies and other stakeholders, we will move forward to secure funding to accomplish each project. 

Other programming is being developed as funding becomes available.


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