afa annual meeting | general session | wednesday morning

WELCOME

Keynote Address

Tom Martin | American Forest Foundation

Arkansas Forest & Drinking Water Panel

Dr. Bob Morgan | Beaver Water DistrictKitty Weisman | U.S. Endowment for Forests and Communities

Joe Fox | Arkansas State Forester

Southeastern Partnership forForests and Water

Forests provide the cleanest water of any land use

2/3 U.S. fresh water comes from forested watershedsWatershed condition affects water quality/quantity

Importance of Forested Watersheds

Healthy, well-managed forests produce clean water

Clean water is less expensive to treat

Importance of Forested Watersheds

How Healthy Forests Benefit Drinking Water

Natural filtration of contaminants

Decreased contamination from other land uses

Decreased sediment runoff, ash from forest fires

Decreased water temperature

$1 invested in forests saves $27 in drinking water treatment (EPA)

10% increase in forest cover reduces drinking water treatment and chemical costs 20% (AWWA)

Forest $$ Benefit Drinking Water

Healthy, well-managed forests

High quality, protected source water

Less water treatment

Less energy and chemicals

Sustainable communitiesLess cost to utilities and citizens

Ancillary values (e.g. carbon sequestration, habitat)

Benefits of Well-Managed Forests

Population growth & forest conversionClimate changeTimber market changesInvasive species

Threats to SE Forested Watersheds(Southern Forests Futures Report)

Collaborative partnership for source watershed protectionPartners = drinking water, forestry, & conservationVision = well managed, healthy forests benefit drinking water quality and quantity

SE Partnership for Forests & Water

SE Partnership for Forests & Water

Initiated at 2012 Greenville, SC meetingFunded by USFS & US Endowment for Forests & Communities

Maintain & expand healthy, well-managed forests

Initiate & develop collaborative partnerships based on shared vision, goals, and trust

Identify priority watersheds & initiatives

Implement projects that value “green infrastructure” and forest landowners

SE Partnership for Forests & WaterGOALS

Initial Focus on 5 States

SE Partnership for Forests & Water

2014 to Now – Collaborative Forums, Partnerships & Workshops in AL, AR, GA, FL, NC, SC, Texas

2015 Arkansas Forests & Drinking Water Forum – 45 leaders

2015-16 Arkansas Forests & Drinking Water Committee meets

September 2016 - NW Arkansas Forests & Drinking Water Workshop

SE Partnership for Forests & WaterActions Since 2014

Central Arkansas Water – City of Little RockBeaver Watershed Alliance – NW ArkansasBrewer Lake Partnership – Green Bay Packaging and City of Conway

Arkansas Forests & Drinking Water

The Path Forward for Arkansas Forests & Drinking Water

Develop relationships and build trust

Plan priority watershed workshops

Identify priority actions & funding

Enhance education and incentive programs for forest landowners

Kitty Weisman, CoordinatorSoutheastern Partnership for Forests and Water

(360) 481–2544Kitty.Weisman@icloud.com

Forests and Source Water Protection

Bob Morgan, PhDManager of Environmental Quality

Arkansas Forestry Association, 2016

• Regional Water Provider– Bentonville– Rogers– Springdale– Fayetteville

• 47 Million Gallons/Day• > 330,000 Customers• Source; Beaver Lake

Beaver Water District

Mission

To serve our customers’ needs by providing high quality water that meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements, and is economically priced consistent with our quality standards.

• High quality source• Source water protection• Emergency response• Optimized treatment

• Distribution system management

• Water quality monitoring• Educated consumers

Multiple Barriers to Protect Drinking Water

Maintain, safeguard, and/or improve the quality of a given sourceAWWA G-300 Source Water Protection

• Greater public health• Response to uncertainties• Avoiding costs• Improved compliance• Customer expectations• Bond rating• Funding opportunities

Source Water Protection

Beaver Lake Watershed

Benefit of Forests

Implementing SWP is a Good Value

• The net present value is $125 million

• The benefit-cost ratio is 1.4

• The internal rate of return is 18%

Cadmus study 2016

Index of Forest Importance to Drinking Water

Forests and Drinking WaterAFA Annual Meeting

October 5, 2016

Arkansas Forestry Commission

MISSION

To protect Arkansas’s forests and those who enjoy them from wildland fire and natural hazards

while promoting rural and urban forest health, stewardship, development and conservation

for all generations of Arkansans

AFC VISION

Arkansas’s healthy rural and urban forests provide clean air and water, functioning ecosystems, economic and social benefits. An agency of leaders in forest protection, emergency response, and forest management is committed to maintaining and enhancing these attributes.

Facts About Arkansas

• Arkansas ranks 27th in size among the States, with a area of 53,187 square miles (34 million acres)

• 56% of Arkansas is forested (19 million acres)• There are 2.97 million people living in Arkansas• There are 11.8 billion trees growing within Arkansas’s forests (3,973

trees/person)• The private non-industrial sector owns 68% of the forestland.• The timber in the State is growing faster than being harvested. • In 2014, 14.7 million tons of pine were delivered to mills, $533 mil• Ouachita National Forest is the oldest national forest in the South• The State has over 600,000 acres are lakes with 9,740 miles of

streams.• The Arkansas River is the longest stream to flow into the

Mississippi-Missouri river system. Its total length is 1,450 miles• The lowest point in the state occurs along the Ouachita River, 54ft

elevation• The State’s highest point is 2,753 feet elevation at Mount Magazine

WELCOME

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3.7.16Talk Business

& Politics

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Business climate:Interest ratesStock market

Gas pricesHousing marketUnemployment/

Employment

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Business climate:Consumer confidence

Wage pressureJobs paradigm shift

Regulatory environment

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Political climate:Presidential raceHillary vs. Trump

Boozman vs. EldridgeHill vs. Curry

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U.S. President

Trump 55%Clinton 34%Johnson 3%

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Ohio 40-43Florida 46-43Virginia 44-37

Pennsylvania 45-41Colorado 43-39

Maine 41-37North Carolina 44-43

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Iowa 38-43Michigan 43-38Wisconsin 43-38Nevada 42-41

New Hampshire 43-37Arizona 38-40

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U.S. Senate

Boozman 55%Eldridge 29%

Gilbert 5%

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Political climate:Medical marijuana x 2

CasinosMedical tort reform3 Legislative items

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For Med Marijuana49%

Against Med Marijuana43%

Undecided8%

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For Med Marijuana36%

Against Med Marijuana53%

Undecided11%

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For Casinos38%

Against Casinos49%

Undecided13%

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Federal

Regulation (Clinton vs. Trump)

Energy billLame duck address,Westerman, biomass

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State

Emerald Ash BorerMachinery tax exemption

unchangedInvestArk off the table

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Q&A

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Roby@TalkBusiness.net

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