From a brainstorming session held at the conclusion of the Coho Recovery - Tools for the Landowner workshop, attendees identified the following issues related to preservation of open space in family ownership, and developed ideas that will foster a balance between Coho habitat preservation and continued economic viability of the open spaces.

TOPICS ADDRESSED IN BRAINSTORMING SESSION

1. Identify Needs Of Private Landowners To Help Them Protect Coho


2. Issues Private Landowners Face Or Information Required To Improve Coho Habitat


3. Problems Encountered By Landowners That Inhibit Active Improvement Of Coho, Or That Threaten Economic Operations


4. Describe Your Vision For Preserving Open Space That May Contain Habitat For Coho Salmon

Identify Needs Of Private Landowners To Help Them Protect Coho

• **An increased level of trust needs to be built on the part of landowners and regulators.
• *Ensuring confidentiality of landowner information will encourage participation of more landowners.
• *Regulatory certainty.
• *Stewardship "credits" for history of good land use practices and projects.
• *Incentive based environmental regulation.
• Common sense should prevail.
• Streamline permitting.
• Local historical knowledge.
• Interagency approach - i.e. THP "teams".
• Improve local decision making capacity.
• Tools for self-evaluation/monitoring - long-term watershed groups for support.
• Certainty of and information about what Coho need - physical habitat needs, biology, etc.
• Consistent data methods - certainty of limiting factor analysis.
• Watershed wide open space preservation information - Williamson Act, TPZ.
• Knowledge of land management effects.
• The word "restoration" is a value judgment- maybe should use another word that doesn't imply lose of habitat.
• Don't declare "impairment" or "threatened or endangered" without adequate scientific review.
• Decision making by bureaucracies is frustrating - inadequate communication among agencies.
• Accurate information.
• Create a recorded baseline for a given property - avoid duplication (i.e. archeology).
• Participation by public agencies with local groups on a long term basis.
• Balance needs of people vs. fish rather than give fish top priority.
• Need to build coalitions with loud enough voice to legislate incentives.
• Regulatory process needs to be streamlined to avoid redundancy and excess permit costs.
• Economic flexibility.
• Tax incentives.
• Institutional memory needs to be lengthened.
• Long term permits.
• Landscape approach to projects.
• Long term TRUST "Star" ranking - i.e. Five Star would mean more hands-off approach from agencies (you can lose your rank for violations).
• Inherited legacy problems.

Issues Private Landowners Face Or Information Required To Improve Coho Habitat

• *Fee/regulation to comply, but no reward for doing a job right or penalty for doing it wrong. Proposal - Put carrot (incentive) in process to reward compliance.
• Science information often ignores local information.
• Open, respectful dialogue among ALL stakeholders.
• Improved incentives.
• Private landowners working with government-service component of agencies, education.
• Education vs. information (too much!) what landowners can do something about - need local materials and workshops.
• Different agendas - i.e. fish vs. cows.
• Assist landowners from plan to funding sources to implementation- who funds roads? who funds water projects?, etc.
• Link up landowners' knowledge with other watershed knowledge.
• Off site water, methodologies, etc.

Problems Encountered By Landowners That Inhibit Active Improvement Of Coho, Or That Threaten Economic Operations

• Cost/compensation for work out of whack.
• Future certainty once a landowner completes a process i.e. NTMP.
• Penalties for being open about issues on land.
• Trust - how to build successful trust between agencies and landowners.
• Confidentiality breached resulting in third party lawsuits.
• Transparent process with privacy.
• Working cooperatively vs. under regulation (punitive).
• Fear of penalty for endangered species.
• How to improve: what to look for.
• Public outreach to create understanding amongst non-open space general public.
• Following prescriptions and still not meeting standards - i.e. stream temperature.
• Economic feasibility of maintaining open space with Best Management Plan.
• Communication within agencies - state and federal.
• Newcomers with little knowledge.
• Scale of watershed.
• Limited money.
• Conflicting views within and between agencies.
• Data gaps.
• Staff consistency.
• "One size fits all" regulation creates hardship for non-industrial timber growers.
• What will landowners have to "pay" for Coho listing?
• No coalition yet of NITG's to change tax code in a way that fosters continued conservation efforts of NITG's.

Describe Your Vision For Preserving Open Space That May Contain Habitat For Coho Salmon

• *Incentives for private landowners for keeping open space.
• Performance based.
• Clarity of priorities.
• Publicize open space value.
• Landowners encouraged to "raise" endangered species without fear of future penalty.
• Government investing in public trust preservation work.
• Public agencies need to HONOR commitments with private landowners.
• Supporting stewardship saves species.
• Leave landowners alone who maintain an agreed upon balance; stiff penalty for breach could make this work.
• Merit incentives (i.e. Five Star rating).
• Financial incentives - tax credits, easements, pollution credits.
• Landowners, agencies, and residents - ALL agree to a plan to protect Coho and open space in their watershed.
• Support Williamson Act for preserving open space.
• Mutual honor between public agencies and landowners.
• Retain agricultural land use activities as opposed to residential development.
• Use of best management practices vs. regulation - trust in shared values.

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