Riparian Landowner Outreach and Engagement in the Willamette River Watershed
Presentation Abstract
In many watersheds private landowners play a critical role in salmon recovery efforts. However, successfully involving watershed residents, particularly those from rural residential and working landscapes is challenging. This presentation offers strategies to build support for watershed restoration and salmon recovery by private landowners. Discussed will be lessons learned from research examining landowner outreach efforts by seven watershed councils in Oregon’s Willamette River. The research was performed through semi-structured interviews with 40 riparian landowners and 21 watershed council staff. There is no “right way” to engage watershed residents. Landowners have unique relationship with their property, and with stream, rivers and fish. Outreach efforts must be diverse, sustained, and tailored for different types of landowners with an awareness of watershed social-ecological conditions. Technical and financial support for restoration projects is important. Ecological monitoring data can be a powerful tool. Site tours of restoration projects on private property, and first-hand accounts from project landowners increases support. Perhaps most vital is building relationships and trust between watershed council staff and private landowners. While landowner outreach is expensive, time consuming, and hard to quantify and measure, it is an integral component of salmon recovery efforts.
Session Title
The Value of Recreation and Community in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
People
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Salmon stock management--Oregon--Willamette River Watershed; Landowners--Oregon--Willamette River Watershed--Attitudes
Geographic Coverage
Willamette River Watershed (Or.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Riparian Landowner Outreach and Engagement in the Willamette River Watershed
2016SSEC
In many watersheds private landowners play a critical role in salmon recovery efforts. However, successfully involving watershed residents, particularly those from rural residential and working landscapes is challenging. This presentation offers strategies to build support for watershed restoration and salmon recovery by private landowners. Discussed will be lessons learned from research examining landowner outreach efforts by seven watershed councils in Oregon’s Willamette River. The research was performed through semi-structured interviews with 40 riparian landowners and 21 watershed council staff. There is no “right way” to engage watershed residents. Landowners have unique relationship with their property, and with stream, rivers and fish. Outreach efforts must be diverse, sustained, and tailored for different types of landowners with an awareness of watershed social-ecological conditions. Technical and financial support for restoration projects is important. Ecological monitoring data can be a powerful tool. Site tours of restoration projects on private property, and first-hand accounts from project landowners increases support. Perhaps most vital is building relationships and trust between watershed council staff and private landowners. While landowner outreach is expensive, time consuming, and hard to quantify and measure, it is an integral component of salmon recovery efforts.
