You are invited to participate in the North and South Carolina Forests and Drinking Water Forum, Tuesday afternoon September 25 at Mountain Island Educational State Forest (Stanley, NC), and all day Wednesday September 26 at Charles Mack Citizen Center, (Mooresville, NC). To attend the Forum, please complete the registration form below as soon as possible before September 21st.

Forum goals include:

• Facilitate discussions & connections between forest managers, water utilities, & other watershed stakeholders
• Illuminate connections between forestlands & water quality
• Develop action items to improve water quality through forest management, forest certification, & land protection

Forum objectives include:

• Share science-based data about the connection between properly managed forestlands & drinking water
• Provide detailed regional examples/case studies of successful long-term watershed planning & protection efforts
• Learn about potential sources of watershed funding, including innovative financing approaches.
• Define/rank hurdles for maintaining/expanding forests within source watersheds
• Provide information about forest certification as a standard of sustainable management
• Learn how to successfully build/enhance collaborative watershed initiatives with multiple partners
• Learn what is needed to support forestry-drinking water collaboratives

TOUR - September 25th (1pm to 4pm) at Mountain Island Educational State Forest (Stanley, NC):
The afternoon of Tuesday September 25th features a tour of Mountain Island Educational State Forest to learn about the connection between healthy forests and clean water and network with each other. The tour will emphasize benefits of managed forest lands for drinking water source protection for City of Charlotte’s drinking water supply. Speakers include Rusty Rozelle, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services and Rosie Pindilli, City of Charlotte Drinking Water Program. Please indicate below if you plan to attend the tour, and be sure to dress for an easy hike on trails (wear sturdy shoes, bring a daypack with water bottle, snack, and umbrella or rain jacket).

FORUM - September 26th (8:30am to 4:30pm) at at Charles Mack Citizen Center, (Mooresville, NC):
The Forum agenda includes both presentations and breakout sessions. The agenda has been developed with plenty of time built into the program for networking, facilitated group discussions and brainstorming. The Forum agenda is heavily weighted toward discussion and developing the relationships, organizational and social infrastructure, and funding necessary to bring about watershed stewardship and protection to benefit forests, drinking water and other co-benefits. We plan to leave the meeting with tangible “next steps” to accelerate community-based watershed stewardship and protection throughout North and South Carolina.

FORUM AGENDA:
Brief Reports on Drinking Water, Forestry, Land Conservation, & Watershed Health Issues, Programs, & Research:
    Forestry/Landowner Perspectives & Watershed Connections
    Utilities & Source Water Protection
    Funding/Financing/Economics

Facilitated Group Discussion

Panel Presentation & Facilitated Discussion - Innovative Watershed Investment & Conservation Finance – Research & Lessons, featuring Todd Gartner, Director – Natural Infrastructure Initiative, World Resources Institute; Tommie Herbert, Conservation Finance Lead – US Forest Service; and Trevor Cutsinger, Business Manager – Working Forest Fund, The Conservation Fund

Facilitated Breakout Groups discussing and brainstorming North & South Carolina watershed stewardship, forestry, drinking water, and funding needs, opportunities, and challenges

Overview of Forum Highlights & Next Steps

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There is no registration fee for the event; no cost for the tour; and continental breakfast, lunch and snacks/beverages on the 26th are provided thanks to the following Forum sponsors:

The Conservation Fund
City of Charlotte
City of Raleigh
North Carolina Rural Water Association
South Carolina Rural Water Association
South Carolina Forestry Commission
US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
US Forest Service

We encourage you to make your lodging arrangements, if necessary, as soon as possible. The following hotels are near the Forum venue:

Hilton Garden Inn Mooresville (704) 663-6468
Hampton Inn & Suites Mooresville/Lake Norman (704) 660-7700
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mooresville/Lake Norman (704) 662-6900
Fairfield Inn by Marriott (704) 663-6100

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the Forum!

David Baize, South Carolina Chapter of American Water Works Association
Chris Brown, North Carolina Forestry Association
Ed Buchan, City of Raleigh Drinking Water Program
Trevor Cutsinger, The Conservation Fund
Tom Gerow and AJ Lang, North Carolina Forest Service
Andrew Kota & Vicki Taylor, Catawba-Wateree Clean Water Initiative & Foothills Conservancy of NC
Herb Nicholson, South Carolina Forestry Commission
Debbie Maner, North Carolina Rural Water Association
Daniel McInnis, US Forest Service
Robert Olive, EPA Region 4
Nick Rubin, South Carolina Rural Water Association
Guy Sabin, Forestry Association of South Carolina
Rebecca Sadosky, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Drinking Water Program
Kitty Weisman, Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water

For more information about the Forum, please feel free to contact Kitty Weisman, Coordinator, Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water, (360) 481-2544 or Kitty.Weisman@icloud.com