A carefully selected conservation or mitigation bank site increases the likelihood of a successful bank with the maximum conservation value and sustainable mitigation for sensitive species, habitats, streams, and wetland impacts.
CDFW encourages bank sites to:
- Protect significant high value biological resources that are present on the property or where restoration is planned and feasible.
- Contribute to a regional conservation goal such as those outlined in a Natural Community Conservation Plan, Regional Conservation Investment Strategy, Conceptual Area Protection Plan, 1 or recovery plan (e.g., US Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan, CDFW recovery plan), and
- Be of sufficient size or connected to other conserved lands to support contiguous habitat that will provide for the long-term conservation of sensitive species, habitats, streams, and wetlands.
The following types of lands are generally not appropriate for conservation/mitigation bank sites:
- Has been or is being used for mitigation.
- CDFW-owned lands (e.g., Ecological Reserves or Wildlife Areas) or conserved lands (e.g., where CDFW is a conservation easement grantee or third-party beneficiary).
- Lands with existing conservation easements unless carved out.
- Lands inconsistent with habitat preservation (e.g., lands designated or dedicated for park or open space use).
- Have recorded and unrecorded interest that have reserved rights and/or allow, or have allowed, uses (e.g., lands purchased for roads, railroads, landfills, munitions, or leases) that are incompatible or inconsistent with the conservation values of the proposed bank.
Please see the Bank Site Selection Considerations Document (Word) for more information.
Notes
- Conceptual Area Protection Plans (CAPPs) encompass larger geographic areas than a Land Acquisition Evaluation (single or limited number of parcels and/or owners) and serve as planning tools for a region to protect large blocks of habitat. CAPPs typically cover an area with multiple owners, many of which may have no interest in selling at the present time. CAPPs include a prioritization of parcels where purchase or easement offers are first focused.