Florida
MISSION
To ensure healthy Florida forested watersheds that provide safe, reliable drinking water through strong partnerships, collaboration, funding, and action.
about
Florida Partnership for Forests & Water is hosted by Florida Rural Water Association. Partners hold monthly virtual calls and an annual FL Forests & Water Forum. To join, contact KC Bell or Josh Vice.
goals
Help maintain or expand healthy forests in drinking water source watersheds.
Maintain and improve water quality and quantity through healthy forest retention and stewardship.
Initiate and develop working relationships among water utilities, the forestry sector, state and local agencies, and conservation groups.
Identify watersheds and initiatives that have high potential for cooperative forest conservation and long-term stewardship.
Explore pilot projects to implement creative long-term stewardship strategies, such as Payment for Watershed Services and forestry best management practices that demonstrate the interdependence of healthy forests and drinking water.
FORUM AGENDAS & REPORTS
OCT 2023 - FL Forests and Water Forum Report
OCT 2023 - FL Forests and Water Forum Agenda
AUG 2019 - FL Forests and Water Forum Report
AUG 2019 - FL Forests and Water Forum Agenda
OCT 2017 - FL Forests and Water Forum Report
OCT 2017 - FL Forests and Water Forum Agenda
PARTNERSHIP CALL NOTES
For earlier (archived) call notes, email info@southeasternpartnership.org.
OTHER RESOURCES
2024 - FPFW Partnership Graphic
2023 - Paying for Florida’s Ecosystem Services
2023 - NRCS-FL Source Water Priority Areas (Map)
2020 - Florida Forest Action Plan (Water quantity/quality section begins on p104.)
Background
The USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities are collaborating with Southeastern states to maintain healthy watersheds that provide safe, reliable drinking water, healthy forests, and strong local and regional economies.
Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water recognizes that healthy forests benefit drinking water quality and quantity. Stewarding, enhancing, and maintaining healthy forests in key Southeastern drinking water source watersheds is necessary due to increasing population growth and urbanization in the Southeast, which is resulting in forest fragmentation, forest losses (conversion to other land uses), and a decline in forest health. Goals are accomplished by strengthening collaborative state partnerships, initially through forests and drinking water forums, and then identifying priority watersheds and projects for collaboration, creating financing mechanisms and seeking funding.