Conservation policy for the future: What lessons have we learned from watershed planning and research

In the last ten years, watershed planning has become a focal point of soil and water conservation policy in the United States (Naiman 1992; Euphrat and Warkentin 1994; Adler 1995). To proponents, the watershed and the movement of water across and through its landscape and into its streams and groundwater captures processes that results in soil loss sedimentation of waterways, and deterioration of water quality. Consequently, conservationists argue that by changing management structures and practices across the landscape of a watershed, it is possible to advance a range of environmental goals. As a consequence of this position, there are watershed planning efforts across the country that are typically based on a partnership that is led by local citizens who rely on federal and state agency personnel for technical support. While much is currently written about such watershed based planning efforts, the development of a set of strategies for facilitating the planning process rests on lessons derived from ongoing planning efforts (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1997).