Private Landowner Assistance Program - Watershed Forestry Programs

Watershed Forestry Programs

Watersheds or drainage basins are an area of land that drain into a common water body such as stream, lake, estuary, aquifer or ocean. The Watershed Approach is an important framework to address today’s water challenges. More than $450 billion in food and fiber, manufactured goods, and tourism depends on clean water and healthy watersheds. The watershed approach consists of three main strategies:

• Hydrologically defined: which takes geography and all other factors into consideration
• Involves the stakeholders: which includes the federal, state, local and private sectors
• Strategically addresses water resource goals: which focuses on the water quality and habitat of a particular region. The strategy uses adaptive management and multiple programs which consist of mandatory and voluntary aspects

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a website for which contains information about sources of funding of practitioners and funders that have the goal to serve and protect the watersheds.