97 



Necessary Federal Steps: 



To implement the new restoration approach, a coordinated strategic watershed restoration mitiatjve is required. We 

 recommend that the federal government establish the foUowmg: 



* A ciwrdinated strategic watershed protection and restoration initiative in the Northwest. The program must be 

 a top-level national priority. 



* A smgle department with clear pohcymakmg authonty to coordinate and implement the watershed protection 

 and restoration program. Federal land management agencies can align their own policies. We recommend that 

 the watershed level program that includes private lands be operated by the Environmental Protecbon Agency 

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



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

 management agencies. 



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



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

 This includes the creation of a regional (and nationwide) system of "Watershed (Riverine) Biodiversity 

 Management Areas" and "Benchmark Watersheds". 



* A comprehensive ecosystem-based watershed restoration program that focuses initially on securing, hnking, 

 and expandmg the remainmg relatively healthy ecosystems and habitats. 



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

 revitalization projects, and support appropriate economic conversions. 



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

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



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



* Amendments to the existmg federal land management agency rules, standards and guidehnes so that they 

 support the protection and restoration strategies, goals, and poUcies outUned m this testimony. 



IMPLEMENTATION POLICIES: To implement the proposed goals and strategies, we recommend two immediate 

 policy steps: the Watershed and Salmon Hatntat Restoration Act ani The National Watershed RegisOy. 



The Federal Lands Strategy: We propose that the strategies and policies proposed m this testimony be unraediately 

 implemented on federal lands through a Watershed and Sainton Habitat Restoration Act m the Pacific Northwest. 

 Over 200 anadromous salmonids (trout, steelhead, char, and sahnon) are at risk of extraction, and watershed ecosystems 

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

 Spotted Owl and other species. Implementmg the new federal land nverme pohcies in conjunction with the impending 

 protection for these species will provide a more strucWred and mlegrated land protection and management scheme. 



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



For example, a draft estimate of the costs of secunng 137 key public-land watersheds m the Pacific Northwest radicates 

 that between 7.000 and 1 1.000 famiJy-wage jobs would be created over the period of implementation. Much of this 

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

 problems caused by forest roads. 



