Pinchot Institute For Conservation

Programs: Common waters fund: the goal of the common waters fund is to protect forests critical for source water-the water used for drinking, electricity generation, manufacturing and the rich ecosystems in the river. The institute is working downstream to collaborate with water utilities and other major commercial water users to invest in the upper delaware river watersheds that provide clean water. The delaware provides drinking water to 1 in 20 americans and countless businesses, yet this is only a fraction of the many values it provides. Common waters is also working upstream, providing forest landowners with financial incentives to sustainably manage and conserve forests in order to protect sources of high-quality drinking water, and reduce the risks of floods and droughts. The acceleration of sustainable forest management in the upper delaware river region will conserve critical sources of water for many uses and millions of people, while also benefiting wildlife habitat, the production of forest products and the vitality of rural communities. Common waters is leading efforts in the delaware basin to improve scientific information on the connection between upstream forest and water quality and quantity downstream. The partnership is also developing a climate adaptation plan for the headwaters region to help communities improve their resiliency and be better prepared to deal with changing weather patterns, flooding and forest health issues.

stewardship contracting: stewardship contracting is a valuable ecosystem management tool for national public lands. This type of land management contracting is being used by the usda forest service and us doi bureau of land management to address concerns about forest health issues while working to also meet the needs and expectations of rural, forest-based communities and other constituencies concerned with the management of federal forest. Since 2004, the pinchot institute has worked to monitor the roles played by local communities and other segments of the public interested in stewardship contracting.

forest health-human health initiative: this highly innovative program assists family woodland owners with health care costs in exchange for a commitment to manage their forests to maintain and enhance carbon sequestration. Research conducted by the pinchot institute in cooperation with the us forest service identified rising health care costs as one of the primary factors forcing family woodland owners to sell their forest land, contributing to the nearly 3,000 acres/day of forest and open space converted to development across the us. The 16 million private landowners in the us manage more than half of the nation's forest land. The forest health-human health initiative is aimed at slowing the loss of forest land--and the large volume of stored carbon it represents--by enabling private landowners to earn carbon credits that are applied directly to health care costs.

other various program services