Western politicians recognize the importance of watershed restoration

At the tail end of 2009, two prominent political bodies, the Western Governors Association (WGA) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) each sent letters to the USDA extolling watershed restoration, the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative, and "Right-Sizing" the Forest Road System.

The WGA's letter to Secretary Vilsack, explicitly mentions the Legacy Roads program and encourages the Forest Service to continue this crucial initiative. Perhaps not surprisingly, the governors focused on watershed restoration as a critical component of much needed job creation across the rural West.

The USCM's letter to Undersecretary of Natural Resources and Environment, Harris Sherman, focused on "Right-sizing" the Forest Service road system and on ensuring clean drinking water for the 3,400 municipalities that rely on national forests to deliver their water supplies.

It is extremely exciting that such diverse and important political groups are not only recognizing the importance of watershed restoration, but also actively working to restore forests that serve their constituencies.