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Freshwater Trust and partners present pay‑for‑performance pilot to Leadership Council
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Summary
Freshwater Trust and partners outlined a pay‑for‑performance pilot that would pay for quantified restoration outcomes, propose model RFPs for four restoration actions, and recommend using a Puget Sound recovery account or an outcomes bank to aggregate funding and speed projects.
Representatives of Freshwater Trust and partner Quantified Ventures described a pay‑for‑performance approach that pays for quantified ecological outcomes rather than reimbursing activities.
Tim Williamson, Freshwater Trust vice president of finance and policy, summarized the approach: pay for a clearly defined, verifiable unit of ecological benefit and structure procurement, verification and payments around that unit. Meg Valle highlighted four model RFPs prepared as examples—riparian restoration, floodplain and channel modification, large wood placement, and increased flow through water‑quantity projects. The presenters recommended piloting the approach using an outcomes bank or the Puget Sound recovery account to aggregate public, philanthropic and private dollars, reduce transaction costs and attract new investors.
Why it matters: proponents say the model can accelerate the pace and scale of restoration; it offers a way to aggregate fragmented funding, align different programs behind a common metric, and create clearer market signals for practitioners. Council members raised questions on how protection projects would be included, timing of benefits, project prioritization and how operational costs of an outcomes bank would be financed.
Next steps: staff and partners will continue to explore pilot geographies, funding aggregation options and alignment with Action Agenda indicators to see whether a limited pilot could be launched with recovery account funds.
