INCENTIVES TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS ON TIMBER LANDS IN THE WACCAMAW RIVER WATERSHED Advisor: Elizabeth Shapiro

What federal and state programs are effective in restoring aquatic ecosystems affected by timber management within the Waccamaw River watershed? Secondary Questions: What past, current, and proposed restoration efforts are occurring on timber lands in the Waccamaw River watershed? Who are the stakeholders involved in implementing the restoration and what are their motivations in restoration efforts? What programs are currently used within the Waccamaw River watershed to encourage restoration on timber lands? To what extent are these programs effective? What programs have been effective in other regions of the United States and why? What incentives would best motivate existing stakeholders to participate in restoration efforts on timber lands? Riggs SR, Ames DV, Brant DR, and Sager ED

Methods, Data, and Analysis Better Understand the Watershed: Take a kayak trip! Emergent process of snowball sampling Conduct semi-structured interviews with public agencies, universities, and NGOs involved in conservation efforts within the watershed. Focus on Timber Lands: Semi-structured interviews with timber industry Used to determine what programs, if any, are used to promote restoration on timber lands. Provide a Watershed-Specific Analysis: Identify key themes in interviews Create a database and/or GIS map of conservation and restoration activities in relation to timber lands Provide recommendations for effective use of incentive programs within the watershed to promote restoration

Preliminary Findings and Next Steps Based on 4 telephone interviews with NGOs and USFWS Conservation ethic: land acquisition Limited restoration River managed differently across state line Relationship with timber companies cooperative, but land value is the bottom line Next Steps: Finish telephone interviews Schedule interviews with 5 major timber companies Prepare GIS maps Write!