Highlights of Natural Resources Agency Policy for Establishing Conservation Bank

  • The site must provide for the long term conservation of habitat and species.
  • The bank is established pursuant to a legally enforceable Implementing Agreement (signed by all agencies involved)
  • The site must be large enough to be ecologically self sustaining and/or part of a larger conservation strategy.
  • The site must be permanently protected through fee title and/or a conservation easement.
  • Prior to the sale of credits a resource management plan should be approved by the agencies.
  • A sufficient level of funding with acceptable guarantees should be provided to fully ensure the operation and maintenance of the bank as may be required.
  • Provision should be made for long term management of the bank lands after all the mitigation credits have been awarded.
  • Provision should be made for ensuring implementation of the resource management plan in the event of non-performance by the bank owner and/or operator.
  • Provisions should be made in any bank establishment for the monitoring and reporting on the identified species/habitat management objectives.
  • Bank credits should be established by reference to an environmental baseline.
  • The award of bank credits is negotiated on a case-by-case basis.