86 



die watershed level program that iochides private lands be opented by die Enviroamenial Protection Agency 

 (provided EPA is given cabinet status and its perfonnance is greatly improved.) 



* Uniform, consistent riparian, floodplain and habitat protection and restoration standards for all federal land 

 management agencies. 



* Ecosystem and watershed-level plaiming by all federal agencies. 



* A comprehensive ecosystem-based watershed protection program for all federal land-management agencies. 

 This includes die creatioa of a regional (and nationwide) system of "Watershed (Riverine) Biodiversity 

 Management Areas' and 'Benchmark Watersheds' . 



* A comprehensive ecosystem-based watershed restoratioa program that focuses initially on securing, linkmg, 

 and expanding die remaining relatively healthy ecosystems and habitats. 



* Coordinated private land and watershed restoration programs that generate local jobs and community 

 revitalization projects, and siqiport apprc^niate economic conversicms. 



* A moratorium on new dam constructicn, a national "protected river" program, and a process to prioritize, 

 remove, and alter the most damaging dams and water projects within river systons. 



* Stable long-term funding and sufficiait financial and tax incentives for watershed restoration. 



* Amendments to die existing federal land management agency rules, standards and guidelines so that diey 

 support the protection and restorabon strategies, goals, and policies outlined in this testimony. 



DVIPLEMENTATION POLICIES: To implemoit die proposed goals and strategies, we recommend two immediate 

 pohcy steps: die WOetshed Mad Sataata HMtkat Kestondon Act sad The NaAmal WUusbed Registry. 



The Federal Lands Strategy: We propose diat die strategies and poUcies proposed in this testimony be immediately 

 implemented on federal lands dirough a Watershed and Salmon Habitat Restoratioa Act in die Pacific Northwest. 

 Over 2(X) anadromous salmonids (trout, steelhead, char, and sahnon) are at risk of extinction, and watershed ecosystems 

 are highly degraded regionwide. At the same time, the region is certain to soon protect critical habitat for the Northern 

 Spotted Owl and other species. Implementing the new federal land rivenne pohcies in conjunction with die impending 

 protection for these species will provide a more structured and integrated land protection and management scheme. 



This Act will also provide a short term infusion of much needed jobs in rural communities. 



For example, a draft estimate of the costs of securing 137 key public-land watersheds in die Pacific Northwest indicates 

 diat between 7,(XX) and 1 1,000 family-wage jobs would be created over die period of implementation. Much of ttiis 

 would involve heavy bulldozer and excavator equipment work to remove, upgrade or otherwise alleviate sedimentation 

 problems caused by forest roads. 



Ultimately, we recommend that tfiese changes be made on federal land aationwide dirougb a new Federal Lands Riverine 

 Mmagenteal Act a comprehensrve, uniform pohcy that would be appUed to all federal lands and that mandates 

 watershed-level, ecosystem-based protection and restoration. One uniform federal policy is needed to cut across the many 

 conflicting policy fragments diat exist today concernmg nverine systems and biodiversity on federal lands. Federal lands 

 are critical to the heahh of the nation's rivers: much of the remaining natural ecological capital and much of the 

 remaining biodiversity is found on federal lands, especially in the West These systems must be protected quickly to 

 prevent further degradation and to provide the fundamental building blocks for long-term restoration. 



The Private Lands Strategy: We propose die concurrent estabUshmeni of a National Watershed Registry to support 

 existing programs and initiate new voluntary, non-regulatory stale and local efforts to recover riverine systems on private 

 lands. The National Watershed Registry is needed to support the many ongoing state and local efforts that have sprouted 

 across die region but dial cunendy are hmited in effectiveness. It should also stimulate die growth of many new local 

 efforts regionwide. The NWR would establish iKm-profit local watershed council on priority riverine systems diat would 



