October 14, 2015|By Ross Feldman

The Working Farms Fund builds on the strength of The Conservation Fund’s dual mission—to support both environmental conservation and economic resilience for communities across America. Our Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in Atlanta and Chicago, with the goal to expand to other cities nationwide. Agriculture is rooted in a history of stewardship of the land and conservation principles. Farmers have long been our nation’s first conservationists. We believe that the Working Farms Fund will have lasting economic, social and environmental benefits not only for our farmers, but the communities they live in and serve.

Meet the Farmers

Farmers in the Working Farms Fund are not just entrepreneurial, but eager and willing to put in the work to scale up their community’s food systems. Currently, we’re working with several farm teams in the Atlanta-metro area to rise to these tough challenges. Let’s meet them! 


October 14, 2015|By Ross Feldman

WFF Partners and InvestorsWe cannot do this work alone. Working Farms Fund builds a more resilient food system through long-term investments in next generation farm businesses. We anticipate protecting at least 20,000 acres of farmland, launching 200 farm businesses, and supporting strong rural farm networks through its Working Farms Fund in the next 20 years alone. Investment in one farm will roll forward into new projects every 3 to 5 years, multiplying the initial capitalization 5 times over the next 20 years and you can be part of this resilient future.

The Working Farms Fund’s initial revolving fund capital will be dedicated to:

1. Acquiring small to mid-sized farms (20 to 500 acres) facing development threat
2. Matching that farmland with the next generation of diverse and ambitious farmers who need a patient pathway to land access and support to grow their markets and businesses.
3. Permanently conserving the farmland with public funding through the purchase of a conservation easement.
4. Selling the protected, and more affordable farmland to the farmer.

Want to support the Working Farms Fund? Here are some ways you can contribute to a more sustainable food future:

  • Donate to The Conservation Fund (write “Working Farms Fund” in your donation). A gift to the Working Farms Fund will help us buy and protect more working farmland, and invest in sustainable farm practices for our farmers.
     
  • Become a corporate partner. Are you a business that is looking for food-related partnerships? Reach out to kvarsa@conservationfund.org to inquire.

  • Meet our farmers, and support their farms directly. Or shop local and support your local farmers.

  • Partner with us. We are interested in new models of collaboration, particularly with institutional and other market outlets.

 


Key Partner: Emory University

Emory logo

The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta, where we’ve built a partnership with Emory University. As an investment for the health of their students and hospital patients, Emory has agreed to purchase the food produced by Atlanta farmers in the Working Farms Fund program, ensuring equitable demand for the farmers. Learn more about our innovative partnership with Emory University.







Key Partner: Partnership for Inclusive Innovation

pinlogo

The Working Farms Fund works closely with the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN), a public-private partnership that guides efforts to help foster access, growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation throughout the state, with the ultimate goal of achieving inclusive innovation throughout Georgia. PIN aspires to define Georgia’s entrepreneurial identity as a national leader in technology research, development, and implementation.

 



Key Partner: common market


The Common Market is a mission-driven distributor of sustainable, local farm foods. They envision a nation composed of vibrant, regional food systems where interdependent urban and rural communities thrive while improving food security, farm viability, and community and ecological health. Through a collaborative partnership, The Common Market is helping the Working Farms Fund connect farmers to new markets by providing them access to a wide variety of wholesale and retail customers and connecting farmers with institutions and communities throughout the Southeast.   

October 14, 2015|By Ross Feldman

The Working Farms Fund makes it more affordable to own and invest in the most import part of a farm business—land. We are saving threatened farmland and ensuring that your growing farm businesses can flourish on that land.

Farmers who are ready to expand their farm business will work with the Working Farms Fund to achieve landownership in 3 to 5 years. This patient pathway to land ownership allows farmers to invest in their business while gradually working toward purchase of the land.

Farmers in the Working Farms Fund have support from The Conservation Fund and network of farm resource partners who will invest in:
  • Access to farmland at an affordable farming value
  • A patient pathway to farmland ownership through a lease-to-own model
  • Support in identifying and applying for farm business tools and federal programs
  • Access to new and emerging markets
  • Time to focus on investment in farm infrastructure and growing the farm business


Do you want to learn more? Complete our Farmer Survey and we will be in touch.

The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta and metro Chicago. If your farm is serving another metro market, you are welcome to complete the survey—we will keep your information on file for future pilots, and it helps us to know which geographies have interested farmers.



Resources

New Farm Support and Farm Business Planning

Sustainable Agriculture and Land Protection

Loan Guidance
October 14, 2015|By Ross Feldman

The annual Aquaculture Innovation Workshop (AIW) is dedicated to the presentation of the latest developments in sustainable aquaculture. AIW participants come to discuss sustainable aquaculture seafood production and work to elevate an industry they feel passionately helps improve public health, protects the ocean and natural resources, and is economically viable. Leading representatives from all parts of the aquaculture seafood value chain attend the AIW, including investors, feed suppliers, producers, processors, retailers, chefs, and consumers.

WHEN IS THE NEXT AIW?

We anticipate scheduling the next AIW to take place in the late 2022 or early 2023. However, due to the uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 global pandemic, we feel it would be premature to move forward with the planning at this time.  As soon as we have details for the new dates we will be in contact with you. We thank you for your understanding. If you have additional questions, please reach out to us directly by contacting our AIW coordinator, Kata Sharrer at ksharrer@conservationfund.org.

RESOURCES FROM PAST WORKSHOPS

Click here to view downloadable content (presentations, programs, etc.) from past workshops (2011–2018).

October 14, 2015|By Ross Feldman

FI photo

This four-day course on water recirculating aquaculture systems started in 1995 at Cornell University in cooperation with Freshwater Institute staff. The course was held at Cornell University until 1999, after which it was held at the Freshwater Institute as a combined Cornell University/Freshwater Institute course. Course participants were initially university extension associates, however current participants include representatives from commercial fish farms, government fish hatcheries, tribal fish hatcheries, government regulators, universities, research organizations, legislative offices, and fish and wildlife organizations. The combined course continued through 2006, after which the course was taught independently by both institutions until Cornell University stopped offering a classroom course. Current course content covers the fundamentals of water recirculating systems for fish culture including mass balances to maintain water quality, unit process design, and system operation. Course topics include the following:

  • RAS Overview
  • RAS Water Quality
  • Mass Balances
  • Pumping and Piping
  • Circular Tank Design
  • Solids Control & Management
  • Oxygenation
  • Carbon Dioxide control
  • Biofiltration
  • Ozone & UV Processes
  • Fish Health & Biosecurity
  • Monitoring RAS Water Quality
  • RAS Management & Operations
  • RAS Design Examples

Course materials provided to participants include a binder of all presentations and a copy of the book Recirculating Aquaculture. The course includes a tour of a RAS facility for hands-on explanation of the engineering and operation. Custom variations of the four-day course (e.g., two-day versions) are available upon request. Custom courses have been provided for a variety of organizations including Marine Harvest Canada, Marine Harvest Norway, Cooke Aquaculture, USFWS, Bonneville Power Administration, California Fish & Wildlife, and Alltech Brazil.


2023 RAS COURSE

The 2023 RAS Course is scheduled for the week of September 18–22 in Shepherdstown, WV at the National Conservation Training Center. The course includes a tour of the RAS facilities at the Freshwater Institute.

 

COURSE instructors

  • Brian Vinci, Chris Good, John Davidson, Travis May, Natalie Redman – Freshwater Institute
  • Ed Aneshansley – HTL Sustainable Foods

REGISTRATION

Course registration includes course materials, transport to/from the tour of the Freshwater Institute, all-day coffee and drinks; lodging and meals are not included in registration. Registration to begin in Spring/Summer 2023.

LODGING

National Conservation Training Center
698 Conservation Way
Shepherdstown, WV 25414

NCTC’s lodging and meals are a package cost based on current GSA guidelines. CLICK HERE for rates. Reservations to begin Spring/Summer 2023.

If you have questions about the RAS course please contact Kata Sharrer (ksharrer@conservationfund.org | 1-304-870-2209).

April 27, 2015|By

Presentations and resources related to the Fundamentals of Water Quality Markets and Trading


PRESENTATIONS:

Setting Baseline & Who Can Trade:

Managing Risk & Uncertainty:

How do you know credits are real?:

Legal Considerations for Trading: 

Facilitating Water Quality Trading Market Design & Development:

 Improving Water Quality Trading Programs Over Time:


RESOURCES:

  1. BBNA, “EPA Once Again Urged by Alliance To Authorize States to Carry Out Trading” 164 DEN A-10, Aug. 25, 2014 (Copyright 2014 by Bloomberg BNA. Reproduced with permission) (PDF)
  2. Clean Water Act, Section 404 (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1344). (PDF)
  3. Collins and Larry: “Caring for Our Natural Assets: An Ecosystem Services Perspective” USDA, Forest Service, October 2007. (PDF)
  4. Council on Environmental Quality, NEPA regulations, 40 C.F.R. Parts 1500 through 1508. (PDF)
  5. Defense Department, authority to participate in wetland mitigation and conservation banks, 10 U.S.C. Secs. 2694b and 2694c (PDF)
  6. Department of the Interior, “A Strategy for Improving the Mitigation Policies and Practices of The Department of the Interior,” April 2014. (PDF)
  7. Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order No. 3330 “Improving Mitigation Policies and Practices of the Department of the Interior” Oct. 31, 2013. (PDF)
  8. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Mitigation of Impacts to Wetlands and Natural Habitat regulations, 23 C.F.R. Part 777. (PDF)
  9. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).  Abstracts Related to Water Quality Trading. (PDF)
  10. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).  Case Studies of Water Quality Trading Being Used for Compliance with Nutrient NPDES Permit Limits, December 2013. (LINK) (PDF)
  11. Endangered Species Act, 
    a. Sec. 7 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1536) (PDF)
    b. Sec. 10 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1539) (PDF)
  12. Environmental Law Institute. 2005 Status Report on Compensatory Mitigation in the United States. Washington, DC, 2006. (PDF)
  13. EPA Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources, 40 C.F.R. Part 230, Subpart J. (PDF)
  14. EPA Sulfur Dioxide Allowance System, 40 C.F.R. 73. (PDF)
  15. Executive Order 13563—Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, Jan. 18, 2011. (PDF)
  16. Executive Order 13604—Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects, March 28, 2012. (PDF)
  17. Executive Order 13186. Responsibilities of Federal Agencies to Protect Migratory Birds, signed Jan. 10, 2001 (Sec. 3(e)(2) restore and enhance the habitat of migratory birds, as practicable). (PDF)
  18. Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (PDF)
  19. The Freshwater Trust. BasinScout: Watershed Restoration Methodology, Info Sheet. (PDF)
  20. The Freshwater Trust. Water Quality Trading: Program Overview, Info Sheet. (PDF)
  21. Forest Trends, Ecosystem Marketplace Initiative. Gaining Depth: State of Watershed Investment 2014 Report:   (LINK) (PDF)
  22. Forest Trends, The Katoomba Group and UNEP.  “Payments for Ecosystem Services: Getting Started – A Primer.” 2008 (PDF)
  23. Kiesecker, Joseph M, et. al. “Development by Design: blending landscape-level planning with the mitigation hierarchy.” Front. Ecol. Environ. Doi: 10.1890/090005, 2009. (PDF)
  24. Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. “Lake Clarity Crediting Program Handbook: For Lake Tahoe TMDL Implementation”, August 2015. (PDF)
  25. Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. “Lake Tahoe TMDL Program Management System Handbook: Guiding Efforts to Restore Lake Tahoe’s Historic Clarity”, December 2014. (PDF)
  26. LaRocco, Gina L.; Deal, Robert L. “Giving credit where credit is due: increasing landowner compensation for ecosystem services” USDA, Forest Service, 2011. (PDF)
  27. Madsen, Becca et al. “Update: State of Biodiversity Markets.” Washington, DC. Forest Trends. 2011. (PDF)
  28. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act - As amended 2007. (PDF)
  29. Maillett and Simon: “Characteristics of Existing Federal Conservation Banks” USFWS Discussion Paper, September 2007. (PDF)
  30. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S. C. 1361). (PDF)
  31. McKenney, Bruce and Joseph M. Kiesecker, “Policy Development for Biodiversity Offsets: a Review of Offset Frameworks,” Environmental Management 45:165, 2010. (PDF)
  32. National Association of Conservation Districts, “Markets, Trading and Credits: New Opportunities for Conservation Districts” Spring 2009. (PDF)
  33. National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) (PDF)
  34. National Marine Fisheries Service regulations, 50 C.F.R. Parts 222. (PDF)
  35. The National Network on Water Quality Trading. Building a Water Quality Trading Program: Options and Considerations, 2015.  (LINK) (PDF)
  36. The National Network on Water Quality Trading. Building a Water Quality Trading Program: Options and Considerations, 2015, Executive Summary.  (LINK) (PDF)
  37. The National Network on Water Quality Trading. Building a Water Quality Trading Program: Options and Considerations – Sector Summaries:
    a. Agriculture Community Focus Summary by American Farmland Trust (PDF)
    b. Environmental Community Focus Summary by Environmental Law and Policy Center (PDF)
    c. State Perspectives by the Association of Clean Water Administrators (PDF)
    d. NACWA Perspectives on Water Quality Trading (PDF)
    e. Trading Practitioner Focus Summary by Troutman Sanders (PDF)
  38. The National Network on Water Quality Trading, National Network Overview, June 10, 2015. (PDF)
  39. NOAA Catch Share Policy, 2010. (PDF)
  40. NRCS & USFWS, “Partnership Agreement Between the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies”, April 2007. (PDF)
  41. Presidential Memorandum—Modernizing Federal Infrastructure Review and Permitting Regulations, Policies and Procedures, May 17, 2013. (PDF)
  42. Presidential Memorandum—Transforming Our Nation’s Electric Grid Through Improved Siting, Permitting and Review, June 7, 2013. (PDF)
  43. Section 314(b) of the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 108–136) [authorizing USACE regulations for onsite, offsite and in-lieu fee mitigation] (PDF)
  44. U.S. EPA.  Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook:  Can Water Quality Trading Advance Your Watershed’s Goals?, EPA 841-B-04-001,  November 2004.   (LINK) (PDF)
  45. U.S. EPA.  Water Quality Trading Policy, Office of Water, January 13, 2003. (PDF)
  46. U.S. EPA.  Water Quality Trading Program Fact Sheets, Appendices to Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers, EPA 833-R-07-004, Published August 2007, Updated June 2009. (PDF)
  47. U.S. EPA.  Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers, EPA 833-R-07-004, Published August 2007, Updated June 2009. (PDF)
  48. EPA & USDA, “Partnership Agreement Between the US Department of Agriculture and the US Environmental Protection Agency Regarding Water Quality Trading”, November 2013. (PDF)
  49. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.) (PDF)
  50. USFWS “Conservation Banking: Incentives for Stewardship” July 2009 (PDF)
  51. USFWS “Guidance for Establishment, Use, and Operation of Conservation Banks” issued May 8, 2003, 68 Fed. Reg. 24753. (PDF)
  52. USFWS, “Mitigation Policy,” 46 Fed. Reg. 7643, Jan. 23, 1981 [in process of being updated]. (PDF)
  53. USFWS. Programmatic Formal Consultation for US Army Corps of Engineers 404 Permitted Projects that May Affect Four Endangered Plant Species on the Santa Rosa Plain, California. 1998 (PDF)
  54. USFWS. Programmatic Formal Consultation on Issuance of 404 Permits for Projects with Relatively Small Effects on Listed Vernal Pool Crustaceans Within the Jurisdiction of the Sacramento Field Office, California. 1996. (PDF)
  55. USFWS, Strategic Habitat Conservation: Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Fact Sheet, July 2012. (PDF)
  56. USACE.  Model “Operational Guidelines for Creating or Restoring Wetlands that are Ecologically Self-Sustaining” for Aquatic Resource Impacts Under the corps Regulatory Program Pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Memorandum to the Field. Oct. 29, 2003. (PDF)
  57. USACE “National Wetland Mitigation Banking Study: Technical and Procedural Support to Mitigation Banking Guidance” IWR Technical Paper WMB-TP-2, December 1995. (PDF)
  58. USACE Wetland Compensatory Mitigation Regulations, 33 C.F.R. Part 332. (PDF)
  59. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Natural Resources Credit Trading Reference,” October 2011. (PDF)
  60. Woodward, Richard T. and Ronald A. Kaiser. Market Structures for U.S. Water Quality Trading. Review of Agricultural Economics 24(2): 366-383, 2011.  (LINK) (PDF)
  61. Working Lands Investment Partners LLC, “Environmental Credit Markets: An Investment Primer” October 2009. (PDF)
  62. World Resources Institute, “Current and Potential Roles for Government in Facilitating Water Quality Markets”. (PDF)
  63. World Resources Institute, “How Can Conservation Programs Effectively Interact with Environmental Markets?” (PDF)

Web Resources:
Further Reading:
April 27, 2015|By

Regional Outlook presentations and resources related to Water Quality Markets


CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION:

PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. BBNA, “Maryland Close to Launching ‘Gold Standard' Nutrient Trading Program, State Official Says,” 182 DEN A-10, Sept. 19, 2014 (Copyright 2014 by Bloomberg BNA. Reproduced with permission.) (PDF)
  2. Branosky, Evan, Cy Jones, and Mindy Selman. “Comparison Tables of State Nutrient Trading Programs in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” World Resources Institute, May 2011. (PDF)
  3. Chesapeake Bay Commission. “Nutrient Credit Trading for the Chesapeake Bay: An Economic Study.” May 2012. (PDF)
  4. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement”. 2014. (PDF)
  5. Code of Virginia. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Credit Exchange Program, Title 62.1. Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors, Chapter 3.1. State Water Control Law, Article 4.02. (PDF)
  6. Code of Virginia. Nutrient credit use and additional offsite options for construction activities, Title 62.1. Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors, Chapter 3.1. State Water Control Law, § 62.1-44.15:35. (PDF)
  7. Ecosystem Services Working Group, “Ecosystem Services Working Group Final Report”. October 2011. (PDF)
  8. Executive Order 13508—Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration, May 12, 2009. (PDF)
  9. Local Government Advisory Committee and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “Our Waters, Our Towns: Local Governments’ Role in the Watershed Implementation Plans.” 2011. (PDF)
  10. National Water Quality Trading Alliance, Memo on the Draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, March 17, 2014. (PDF)
  11. Nobles, Alicia L., Hillary D. Goldstein, Jonathan L. Goodall, G. Mitchell Fitch. Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation & Research. Investigating the Cost-Effectiveness of Nutrient Credit Use As an Option for VDOT Stormwater Permitting Requirements, VCTIR 15-R9, August 2014.   (LINK)(PDF)
  12. Ribaudo, Marc, Jeffrey Savage, and Marcel Aillery, “An Economic Assessment of Policy Options to Reduce Agricultural Pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay” USDA, Economic Research Service Report No. 166, June 2014. (PDF)
  13. Sample Nutrient Credit Assignment Agreement. (PDF)
  14. Slater, James E., Jr. and Glenn D. Edwards. Case Study: Effective Forest Banking: Forest Conservation in Carroll County, Maryland, from A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation, The Conservation Fund. (PDF)
  15. Virginia Department of Transportation. The Purchase of Nutrient Credits to address Post-Construction Water Quality Reduction Requirements for Construction Activities, Instructional and Informational Memo, OT IIM-LD-251.2, January 2015. (PDF)
  16. World Resources Institute.  Comparison and Effectiveness of Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Trading Program Policies, USDA Office of Environmental Markets, 2014. (PDF)

Web Resources:


GREAT LAKES REGION:

PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. Fox P Trade. Project Overview and Application Packet Fact Sheets, Adapting and Applying Water Quality Tracking in the Lower Fox Watershed, August 2015. (PDF)
  2. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  A Water Quality Trading How To Manual:  Guidance on developing a water quality trading strategy based on protocols specified in “Guidance for Implementing Water Quality Trading in WPDES Permits”, Guidance Number: 3400-2013-03, 2013.   (LINK) (PDF)
  3. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Guidance for Implementing Water Quality Trading in WPDES Permits, Guidance Number: 3800-2013-04, 2013   (LINK) (PDF)
  4. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Water Quality Trading Factsheet, 2013.  (LINK) (PDF)


Web Resources:


MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND GULF COAST REGION:

PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. Perez, Michelle, Sara Walker, and Cy Jones.  Nutrient Trading in the MRB:  A Feasibility Study for Using Large-Scale Interstate Nutrient Trading in the Mississippi River Basin to Help Address Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, World Resources Institute,  March 2013. (PDF)
  2. Ren, W., H. Tian, B. Tao, J. Yang, S. Pan, W.-J. Cai, S. E. Lohrenz, R. He, and C. S. Hopkinson, Large increase in dissolved inorganic carbon flux from the Mississippi River to Gulf of Mexico due to climatic and anthropogenic changes over the 21st century, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 120, 724–736, doi:10.1002/2014JG002761, 2015.  (PDF)
  3. Tao, B., H. Tian, W. Ren, J. Yang, Q. Yang, R. He, W. Cai, and S. Lohrenz, Increasing Mississippi river discharge throughout the 21st century influenced by changes in climate, land use, and atmospheric CO2, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 4978–4986, doi:10.1002/2014GL060361, 2014. (PDF)
  4. Tian, H. et al., Climate extremes dominating seasonal and interannual variations in carbon export from the Mississippi River Basin, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 29, doi:10.1002/ 2014GB005068, 2015. (PDF)
  5. Wabash River Watershed Water Quality Trading Feasibility Study - Final Report. 2011. Prepared by the Conservation Technology Information Center for USEPA Targeted Watershed Grant WS-00E71501-0. (LINK)(PDF)


Web Resources:


Further Reading:

  • Burton C. English.  A Spatial Assessment of Possible Water Quality Trading Markets in Tennessee. Review of Agricultural Economics-Volume 30, Number 4, pp. 711-728.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND CALIFORNIA REGION:

PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. Clean Water Services. The Tualatin River Watershed:  Balancing People, Nature, and Water, Info Sheet. (PDF)
  2. Envirotech Publications, Inc. The Water Report, May 15, 2014. Water Quality & Temperature Trading in the Tualatin Basin.  Laura Porter, Bruce Roll, Raj Kapur, and Anil Devnani, Clean Water Services (Hillsboro, Oregon)] (PDF)
  3. The Freshwater Trust. Rogue River Basin Riparian Restoration Program, Info Sheet.  (PDF)
  4. Tree for All. Info Sheet. (PDF)
  5. Willamette Partnership and The Freshwater Trust. Draft Regional Recommendations for the Pacific Northwest on Water Quality Trading, Multi-State Agency Guidance for Water Quality Trading: Joint Regional Water Quality Trading Agreement (69-3A75-12-255) August 2014, Third Draft. (PDF)


Web Resources:

April 27, 2015|By

Economics presentations and resources related to Water Quality Markets


PRESENTATIONS:


Credit Pricing & Accounting

Uncertainty & Thin Markets

Addressing Risk & Liability

Program Cost & Social Conditions

Linkages to Other Markets & Stacking

RESOURCES:

  1. Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). “The Quiet Revolution in Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance: Emerging Trends in the Uptake of Ecosystem Services.” April 2012. (PDF)
  2. Chan, Kai, Lara Hoshizaki, Brian Klinkenberg. “Ecosystem Services in Conservation Planning: Targeted Benefits vs. Co-Benefits or Costs?” PLoS ONE: Sept 2011. (PDF)
  3. Christianson, Laura, John Tyndall, Matthew Helmers.  Financial Comparison of Seven Nitrate Reduction Strategies for Midwestern Agricultural Drainage, Water Resources and Economics, 2-3, 2013, pp. 30–56. (PDF)
  4. Climate Action Reserve, “Nutrient Management Project Protocol Credit Stacking Subcommittee Meeting #1 Memo” July 12, 2011. (PDF)
  5. Cooley, David and Lydia Olander. Stacking Ecosystem Services Payments: Risks and Solutions, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions Working Paper, NI WP 11-04, September 2011. (PDF)
  6. Doyle, Martin W. et al, “Optimizing the Scale of Markets for Water Quality Trading” September 2014. (PDF)
  7. EcoAgricultural Partners and USDA Office of Environmental Markets. Farm of the Future Case Study Series: April 2011: a. “Big River and Salmon Creek Forests (Northern California)” (PDF) b. “Buck Island Ranch (Northern Everglades, Florida)” (PDF) c. “Mudford Farm (Chesapeake Bay, Maryland)” (PDF) d. EcoAgricultural Partners and USDA Office of Environmental Markets. “Sacramento River Ranch (Yolo County, California)” (PDF) e. “The Watson Partners Farm (Minnesota River Basin and the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative)” (PDF)
  8. Ertimur, Yonca, Jennifer Francis, Amanda Gonzales, and Katherine Schipper.  Financial Reporting for Cap-and-Trade Emissions Reduction Programs, Duke University, December 2009. (PDF)
  9. Faeth, Paul. “Fertile Ground: Nutrient Trading's Potential to Cost-Effectively Improve Water Quality” World Resources Institute, May 2000. (PDF)
  10. Fox, Jessica, Royal C. Gardner, and Todd Maki. “Stacking Opportunities and Risks in Environmental Markets” Environmental Law Reporter, 41 ELR 10121, February 2011. (PDF)
  11. Gardner, Royal C. and Jessica Fox.  "The Legal Status of Environmental Credit Stacking", 40 Ecology L.Q., 2013. (LINK)(PDF)
  12. Hartwell, Ray, Bruce Aylward, Sue Lurie, Sally Duncan, Katrina Van Dis, “Ecosystem Service Market Development: The Role and Opportunity for Finance” March 2010. (PDF)
  13. Hook, Patrick W. and Spencer T. Shadle, “Navigating Wetland Mitigation Markets: A Study of Risks Facing Entrepreneurs and Regulators.” December 2013. (PDF)
  14. Layne, Valerie, “Layering Multiple Credit Types in Mitigation Banks” National Wetlands Newsletter, Vol. 33, Issue 1, 2011. (*starts on p. 8) (PDF)
  15. Murray, B. and T. Vegh.  Incentivizing the Reduction of Pollution at Dairies: How to Address Additionality When Multiple Environmental Credit Payments Are Combined, NI WP 15-01. Durham, NC: Duke University, 2015. (LINK)(PDF)
  16. Niemi, E., Lee, K., Raterman, T. “Net economic benefits of using ecosystem restoration to meet stream temperature requirements.” ECONorthwest. (PDF)
  17. Rees, Gwendolen and Dr. Kurt Stephenson. Transaction costs of nonpoint source water quality credits: Implications for trading programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USDA, Office of Environmental Markets, November 2014. (PDF)
  18. Ribaudo, Marc, LeRoy Hansen, Daniel Hellerstein, and Catherine Greene, “The Use of Markets to Increase Private Investment in Environmental Stewardship” USDA, Economic Research Service Report No. 64, September 2008. (PDF)
  19. Robertson, Morgan, Todd K BenDor, Rebecca Lave, Adam Riggsbee, JB Ruhl, and Martin Doyle.  "Stacking Ecosystem Services", Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2014; doi:10.1890/110292. (PDF)
  20. Scarlett, Lynn and James Boyd, “Ecosystem Services: Quantification, Policy Applications, and Current Federal Capabilities” Resources for the Future, March 2011. (PDF)
  21. Shortle, James, David Abler, Zach Kaufman, Kate Zip.  Implications of Lags in Pollution Delivery for Efficient Agricultural Waste Load Allocations and the Design of Water Quality Trading Programs, Washington, DC: USDA, 2014. (PDF)
  22. Smith, M., de Groot, D., Perrot-Maîte, D. and Bergkamp, G. (2006). “Pay – Establishing payments for watershed services.” IUCN, 2008. (PDF)
  23. Suter, J.F., Spraggon, J.M. and G.L. Poe, Water Quality Trading Experiments: Thin Markets and Lumpy Capital investments, GWF Discussion Paper 1328, Global Water Forum, Canberra, Australia, 2013. (LINK)(PDF)
  24. Suter, J.F., Spraggon, J.M. and G.L. Poe. Thin and Lumpy: An Experimental Investigation of Water Quality Trading, Paper presented at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Associations 2011 AAEA & NAREA Joint Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 24- 26, 2011. (LINK)(PDF)
  25. Tiedemann, Rob, Ph.D., Hal Anderson, Integrated Watershed Solutions, Inc. North Alkali Drain Water Quality Improvement Pilot Project, Project Summary and Report of Preliminary Results, Prepared for Members of the Board of Directors, Lower Boise Watershed Council, Inc. January 6, 2015 (PDF)
  26. Walker, Sara and Mindy Selman, “Addressing Risk and Uncertainty in Water Quality Trading Markets”. World Resources Institute, February 2014. (PDF)
  27. White, Wayne and Jemma Penelope, “Stacking and Unstacking: The Economics, the Conservation, and the Conversation,” National Wetlands Newsletter, Vol. 35, Issue 2, 2013. (PDF)

Web Resources:


Further Reading:

  • Adoption Potential of Nitrate Mitigation Practices: An Ecosystem Services Approach.  International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2013.  DOI: 10.1080/14735903.2013.835604
April 27, 2015|By

Tools and Technology presentations and resources related to Water Quality Markets


PRESENTATIONS:


Conservation Practice Evaluation

EnviroAtlas

Information Resources & Training

Tools for Trading


RESOURCES:

  1. Boyd, James and Lisa Wainger, “Measuring Ecosystem Service Benefits: The Use of Landscape Analysis to Evaluate Environmental Trades and Compensation,” Resources for the Future, April 2003. (PDF)
  2. Environmental Incentives. “Road RAM User Manual, V2: Road Rapid Assessment Methodology”, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, May 2015. (PDF)
  3. Geospatial Platform. “Federal Geographic Data Committee Launches New Geospatial Website” [Press Release]. (PDF)
  4. Great Lakes Commission. Point To Nonpoint Water Quality Trading Checklist Template (LINK)(PDF)
  5. Kieser and Associates.  A Scientifically Defensible Process for the Exchange of Pollutant Credits under Minnesota’s Proposed Water Quality Trading Rules.  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. June 2009. (PDF)
  6. NEPAssist Fact Sheet (PDF)
  7. RIBITS: Credit Classifications (PDF)
  8. RIBITS: Finding Credits (PDF)
  9. RIBITS: Getting Started with RIBITS (PDF)
  10. RIBITS: Understanding the RIBITS Credit Ledger (PDF)
  11. RIBITS: Utilizing RIBITS Reporting Tools (PDF)
  12. Richardson et al. “Integrated stream and wetland restoration: a watershed approach to improved water quality on the landscape.” Ecol. Engineering 37: 25-39. 2011. (PDF)

Web Resources:


Further Reading:

April 27, 2015|By

Stormwater presentations and resources related to Water Quality Markets


PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. American Rivers. “Funding Green Infrastructure in Pennsylvania: Funding the Future of Stormwater Management.” (PDF)
  2. American Rivers. “Weathering Change: Policy Reforms that Save Money and Make Communities Safer.” (PDF)
  3. Arrandale, Tom. “The Price of Greening Stormwater.” Governing. April 2012. (PDF)
  4. Branosky, Evan.  From Gray to Green:  Stormwater Trading in Washington D.C. District Department of the Environment, River Network, River Voices, pp. 7-8, 2015. (PDF)
  5. District Department of the Environment, Stormwater Retention, Credit Trading & RiverSmart Rewards (brochure), 2014. (PDF)
  6. EPRI. Butler County Board of Commissioners, from Case Studies of Water Quality Trading Being Used for Compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Limits, EPRI, 2013, Section 3. (PDF)
  7. Fowler, Lara B., Matthew B. Royer, and Jamison E. Colburn. Addressing Death by a Thousand Cuts: Legal and Policy Innovations to Address Nonpoint Source Runoff, Choices Magazine,  3rd Quarter 2013.  (LINK) (PDF)
  8. The GreenSeams Program. “Preserve Guide 2001-2010 Ten Years in Review.” (PDF)
  9. Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). “Fresh Coast Green Solutions: Weaving Milwaukee’s Green and Grey Infrastructure into a Sustainable Future.” (PDF)
  10. PLANYC and NYC Environmental Protection. “New York City Green Infrastructure Plan: A Sustainable Strategy for Clean Waterways.” (PDF)
  11. Plevan, Andrea, Megan Burke, Jared Oswald, James Klang, and Joanna Allerhand.  Pollutant Suitability Evaluation for a Water Quality Credit Trading Program in the Central Big Sioux Watershed, Moody County Conservation District. Topical Report RSI-2388, October 2013. (PDF)
  12. Seters, Tim Van, Christy Graham, Lisa Rocha (Toronto and Region Conservation) and Mariko Uda, Chris Kennedy (University of Toronto, Department of Civil Engineering). Assessment of Life Cycle Costs for Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Practices: Final Report, 2013.  (LINK) (PDF)
  13. Talberth, John, Erin Gray, Evan Branosky and Todd Gartner. “Insights from the Field: Forests for Water.” World Resources Institute Issue Brief 9: Feb 2012. (PDF)
  14. US Environmental Protection Agency.  Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework, Memorandum, May 2012.  (LINK) (PDF)
  15. Valderrama, Alisa and Larry Levine. Financing Stormwater Retrofits in Philadelphia and Beyond. Natural Resources Defense Council, February 2012.  (LINK) (PDF)
  16. Valderrama, Alisa, Lawrence Levine, Eron Bloomgarden, Ricardo Bayon, Kelly Wachowicz, Charlotte Kaiser. Issue Brief - Creating Clean Water Cash Flows: Developing Private Markets for Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Philadelphia. NRDC, EKO Asset Management Partners, The Nature Conservancy. Funded by a grant from: Rockefeller Foundation, February 2013. (LINK)  (PDF)
  17. Wainger, Lisa A. and James S. Shortle, Local Innovations in Water Protection: Experiments with Economic Incentives, Choices Magazine,  3rd Quarter 2013. (LINK)  (PDF)
  18. Willamette Partnership, Pinchot Institute for Conservation, and World Resources Institute, In It Together: A How-To Reference for Building Point-Nonpoint Water Quality Trading Programs - PART I, 2012. (LINK)  (PDF)

Web Resources:

April 27, 2015|By

Water Quantity presentations and resources related to Water Quality Markets

 

PRESENTATIONS:


RESOURCES:

  1. Amundsen, Ole M., Will Allen, and Kris Hoellen.  Green Infrastructure Planning:  Recent Advances and Applications, PAS Memo, May/June 2009.  (LINK) (PDF)
  2. Buranen, Margaret.  Milwaukee Goes Green and Grey for Stormwater Management, Stormwater Journal, May 2012. (LINK) (PDF)
  3. Hrobar, Jessica. Innovative Program Connects Wastewater Utilities and Nature, Water World, v. 4, Issue 4, (undated).  (LINK) (PDF)
  4. Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc.  Holistic Approach to Sustainable Water Management in Northwest Douglas County, Colorado Water Conservation Board, January 2007.  (LINK) (PDF)
  5. Mammoth Trading, “About Us”. (LINK) (PDF)
  6. NOAA. Resilient Land and Waters Initiative, Tranche 1, April 21, 2015.  (LINK) (PDF)
  7. Oregon State University.  Oregon’s Water Markets, Institute For Water And Watersheds And Institute For Natural Resources, April, 2012 (LINK) (PDF)


Web Resources:



April 27, 2015|By

Water Quality Markets: Resources


In 2015 the USDA and EPA cosponsored the National Workshop on Water Quality Markets. This event was hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska and coordinated by The Conservation Fund. The Workshop highlighted recent progress in water quality trading across the country with an emphasis on policy, resources, and tool development. The compendium of resources associated with this program - organized by theme - is available below.


Trading Fundamentals VIEW

Resources on core elements and major aspects of water quality markets and trading programs
 

Regional Outlook VIEW

Resources on existing water quality trading activities across the United States, highlighting the below regions:
  • Chesapeake Bay Region
  • Great Lakes Region
  • Mississippi River Basin and Gulf Coast Region
  • Pacific Northwest & California Region


Economics VIEW

Resources on analysis and insights into water quality markets, economic trends, and supply and demand as well as on other water market types, including watershed services, water rights, and links to species and habitat markets

Tools and Technology VIEW

Resources on tools, underlying science, and emerging technologies employed by various programs as well as opportunities and challenges for broader use in the field of water quality

Stormwater VIEW

Resources on a cross-section of existing and emerging stormwater trading programs, examine regulatory drivers for stormwater offsets, and explore different stormwater trading program designs

Water Quantity VIEW

Resources on legal, economic, business, and regulatory aspects of water quantity trading for managing ecological and transboundary stream flow impacts in complex regulatory regimes

 

More Information:

Please contact Chris Hartley, USDA Office of Environmental Markets (chartley@oce.usda.gov | 202-690-0832 ) OR Katie Allen, The Conservation Fund's Conservation Leadership Network (kallen@conservationfund.org | 304-876-7925) with any questions or to suggest additional resources.


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April 27, 2015|By

In partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, The Conservation Fund's Conservation Leadership Network (CLN) offers an annual training course for members of Interagency Review Teams (IRTs) on Mitigation Banking & In-Lieu Fee Programs. The course is designed to increase the effectiveness of IRTs in reviewing proposed 3rd party mitigation and overseeing their operation. 

Resources and presentations from the June 2019 course offering -- organized by session -- are available for download below. Also available for download are the Course Agenda (pdf) and Resource List (pdf). For information about this and other CLN course offerings, see the Upcoming Courses & Events page.

  • Session 1: Overview Materials (zip file)
  • Session 2: IRTs/MBI Documentation Materials (zip file)
  • Session 3: Site Selection Materials (zip file)
  • Session 4: Site Protection Materials (zip file)
  • Session 5: Business of Banking Materials (zip file)
  • Session 6: Service Area Materials (zip file)
  • Session 7: In-Lieu Fee Materials (zip files) Part 1 |  Part 2 | Part 3
  • Session 8: Short-Term Financial Assurance Materials (zip file)
  • Session 9a: Wetland Crediting Materials (zip files) Part 1 | Part 2
  • Session 9b: Stream Crediting Materials (zip files) Part 1 | Part 2
  • Session 10: Performance Standards/Credit Release Materials (zip file)
  • Session 11: Conservation Banking/Joint Banking Materials (zip file)
  • Session 12: Long-Term Management/Stewardship Financing Materials (zip file)
  • Session 13: Oversight & Compliance Materials (zip file)
  • Session 14: Dispute Resolution Materials (zip file)
  • RIBITS Session Materials (zip file)
  • Class Exercise Materials (zip file)
February 4, 2015|By Ross Feldman

This 8-part webinar series being offered from October 2020 – February 2021 is designed to provide an introduction to foundational topics related to conservation banking for endangered species and habitat recovery, as well as joint authority programs that mitigate for impacts to wetlands and streams.

Conservation banking is a tool to conserve endangered, threatened, and other at-risk species and their habitat that reduces risks associated with and increases the success of compensatory mitigation. 


HOW TO VIEW WEBINARS

This series is intended for anyone interested in learning more about conservation and joint authority mitigation banking. We encourage people to view all of the webinars to gain a comprehensive understanding of conservation banking and how all the topics relate to each other.

Click on the "VIEW MATERIALS" button for each webinar listed below to access materials including presentations, speaker bios, speaker contact information, resources, and the webinar recording.

SERIES WEBINARS

WEBINAR #1: The Market & Regulatory Drivers for Conservation Banking

This webinar provides an overview of environmental markets and the drivers for Conservation Banking as a market-based tool. 

VIEW MATERIALS

 

WEBINAR #2: Banking Perspectives: The Business of Buying & Selling Credits

This webinar provides an overview of the business of compensatory mitigation banking with insight into the risks that factor into the decision to sponsor a bank. 

VIEW MATERIALS

 

WEBINAR #3: Setting the Stage for Success: Strategic Site Selection & Durable Site Protection Mechanisms

This webinar provides an overview of regulatory guidance for selecting mitigation sites and reviews the suite of site protection mechanisms needed to minimize risk and create durable and successful mitigation banks.

VIEW MATERIALS

 

WEBINAR #4: Operation & Management of Banks: The Role of Mitigation Review Teams & Banking Partners

This webinar provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the mitigation review team (MRT) and other banking partners during the instrument development, implementation, and management phases of a bank. 

VIEW MATERIALS

 

WEBINAR #5: Service Area & Credit Determination: Balancing Ecological & Economic Factors

This webinar provides a nuts and bolts review of how the type and number of credits are determined for a bank and how the extent of the service area is determined. 

VIEW MATERIALS

 

WEBINAR #6:  Long-Term Management & Stewardship: Roles & Requirements for the Bank After it Closes

This webinar discusses the roles and responsibilities of bank sponsors and long-term stewards in developing and implementing management plans and the stewardship funding mechanism(s) needed to ensure continued mitigation compliance. 

 

WEBINAR #7: Alternatives to Conservation Banking (Part I) – Emerging Applications of Multiple Authority Mitigation

This webinar features a survey of emerging applications of multiple authority mitigation to support the recovery of species and habitats in new and exciting ways.

 

WEBINAR #8: Alternatives to Conservation Banking (Part II) – Programmatic Approaches To Mitigation

This webinar includes an in-depth look at programmatic approaches such as In-Lieu Fee (ILF) programs and how they are different than banks and when to use them. 

 

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

This webinar series is sponsored by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Department of Agriculture, and Federal Highway Administration with supporting partnership from the Bureau of Land Management, US Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Ecological Restoration Business Association.

February 4, 2015|By Ross Feldman

The Market & Regulatory Drivers for Conservation Banking

Presented live on October 14th 2020, this session provides an overview of environmental markets and the drivers for Conservation Banking as a market-based tool. Presenters outline what conservation and joint banking is within the regulatory context, summarize the required documentation for conservation banking enabling instruments, and provide an overview of conservation banking practices – past, present, and future – across the United States.

Webinar #1 recording



Presenters:

Webinar Materials:


Overview of Conservation Banking Resources:

  1. Carreras Gamarra, Maria Jose and Theodore Toombs. Thirty years of species conservation banking in the US: Comparing policy to practice. Biological Conservation. 2017. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  2. DOI Office of Policy Analysis. “A Preliminary Analysis of the Conservation Banking Program and Results from a Survey of USFWS Staff.” September 2013. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  3. DOI Office of Policy Analysis. “Conservation Banking Overview and Suggested Areas for Future Analysis.” September 2013. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  4. DOI Office of Policy Analysis. “Results from a Survey of Conservation Banking Sponsors and Managers.” September 2016. 
  5. Madsen, Becca et al. “State of Biodiversity Markets: Offset and Compensation Programs Worldwide” 2010. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  6. NOAA NMFS Southwest Region. “Guidance for the review, establishment, use and operation of conservation banks and in-lieu fee mitigation programs” issued October 19, 2011. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  7. NOAA NMFS West Coast Region. West Coast Region Conservation Banking, Joint Banking, and In-Lieu Fee Program Tips and Tools, issued March 12, 2019 [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  8. NOAA NMFS West Coast Region. “West Coast Region Conservation Banking Guidance,” issued August 2015. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  9. USACE and EPA. Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources. Final rule. Federal Register. Vol. 73, No. 70: pp. 19594-19705. April 2008. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  10. USFWS. Guidance for Establishment, Use, and Operation of Conservation Banks, issued May 8, 2003, 68 Fed. Reg. 24753. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  11. Wilkinson, McElfish, Kihslinger, Bendick, McKenney: “The Next Generation of Mitigation: Linking Current and Future Mitigation Programs with State Wildlife Action Plans and Other State and Regional Plans” ELI, Aug. 4, 2009. [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Web Resources:

Environmental Markets Resources:

  1. Ecosystem Marketplace. 2017. State of Biodiversity Markets. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  2. Pindilli, Emily and Frank Casey. Biodiversity and Habitat Markets: Policy, Economic, and Ecological Implications of Market-Based Conservation. USGS, 2015.
  3. Ribaudo, Hansen, Hallerstein, Greene. “The Use of Markets to Increase Private Investment in Environmental Stewardship” USDA, Economic Research Service, Report No. 64, September 2008. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  4. Salzman et al. 2018. The global status and trends of Payments for Ecosystem Services. Nature Sustainability 1:136-144. [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Web Resources:
February 4, 2015|By Ross Feldman

BANKING PERSPECTIVES: THE BUSINESS OF BUYING & SELLING CREDITS

Presented live on October 21st 2020, this webinar provides an overview of the business of compensatory mitigation banking with insight into the risks that factor into the decision to sponsor a bank. Complementary to the presentation on the business of banking is a panel of private bankers and representatives from of credit buying agencies and organizations for a round-table discussion on current issues, emerging trends in credit supply and demand, and overcoming barriers to entering a market or using banking as tool.

It is recommended that participants view Webinar 1: The Market & Regulatory Drivers for Conservation Banking prior to viewing this webinar.

WEBINAR #2 RECORDING



Presenters:

WEBINAR MATERIALS:


RESOURCES:

  1. BenDor, T. K., J. A. Riggsbee, M. Doyle. 2011. Risks and markets for ecosystem services. Environ. Sci. and Tech. 45:1032-10330 [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  2. BenDor, T. K., J. A. Riggsbee, G. Howard. 2010. A survey of mitigation banker perceptions and experiences. National Wetlands Newsletter. 32(3):11-15. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  3. Denisoff, C. R. “Business Considerations”. Pp. 109-126, In: N. Carroll, J Fox and R. Bayon (eds). Conservation and Biodiversity Banking: a Guide to Setting up and Running Biodiversity Credit Trading Systems. Earthscan. 2008. 
  4. Denisoff, Craig and Greg DeYoung. “The Challenge of Implementing Market-Based Programs by Regulatory Agencies.” National Wetlands Newsletter, Vol. 33, No. 4 (2011). [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  5. Hook and Shadle. 2013. Navigating Wetland Mitigation Markets: A Study of Risks Facing Entrepreneurs and Regulators.32pp. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
  6. Levrel, H., P. Scemama, A-C. Vaissiere. 2017. Should we be wary of mitigation banking? Evidence regarding the risks associated with this offset arrangement in Florida. Ecol. Economics.135: 136-149. [DOWNLOAD PDF]
February 4, 2015|By Ross Feldman

As the hub of the Balancing Nature & Commerce Community of Practice, this page features new tools, resources, and innovative strategies being implemented across the nation that can support your own efforts! If you’d like to receive news items like these in a periodic e-newsletter, please contact Katie Allen! Please also share your own experiences, exciting accomplishments, and/or resources that may benefit others!

Rural Community Highlight

Haysi, Virginia — Where Your Break Begins

Set in rural southwest Virginia, the gateway to Breaks Interstate Park, Haysi is a little place with a lot going for them.  The Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail, The Virginia Coal Heritage Trail, Rivers to Ridges Artisan Trail, Round the Mountain Artisan Network, 76 Bicycle Route and Great Eastern Trail all link to downtown Haysi as well as many other communities–but yet Haysi was not realizing the potential of having thousands of visitors pass through every year.  

In 2011, The Conservation Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, provided Haysi with a recommendations report for improvements the town can make to bolster tourism development, create jobs, and define a sense of identity. 

Since the assessment, Haysi has been hard at work. They will soon begin work on building facade improvements, streescape improvements and constructions of a Riverfront Trail–all part of their downtown revitalization plan. As a place where all trails converge, the town designated their old theater building as The Russell Fork Trail Center to support the trails and house businesses.

“I have found that its best for us to get involved regionally, working with other localities, agencies to get the most out of the time I have to work on tourism development.” -Mayor of Haysi, Larry Yates

Check out Haysi at their new website: http://www.haysivirginia.gov/.

Funding Opportunities
Are you looking to fund community projects in your area? Check here periodically for an updated list of national funding opportunities that you can use to enhance your rural community.

Publications & Resources
Look here for new publications, websites, and tools that are available to assist you in your rural community’s planning and project delivery.
February 4, 2015|By Ross Feldman

Are you looking to fund community projects in your area? Check here periodically for an updated list of national funding opportunities that you can use to enhance your rural community.

Children, Youth, and Families At Risk – Sustainable Community Projects
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA announces the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk funding program to improve the quality and quantity of comprehensive community-based programs for at-risk children, youth, and families supported by the Cooperative Extension System. Application Deadline: April 11, 2014

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants
FY 2013 TIGER Discretionary Grants are for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. Larger projects of national or regional significance which DOT determines demonstrate achievement of several of the strategic goals, as well as the project readiness criterion, could be considered for grants larger than those typically awarded in recent rounds of TIGER. Application Deadline: April 28, 2014

Hart Family Fund for Small Towns
Grants from the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects in small towns. Grants generally range from $2,500 to $10,000. Application Deadline: May 1, 2014

National Association of Realtors Smart Growth Grants
NAR’s Smart Growth Action Grants support a wide range of land-use related activities. To be considered, activities should support the core purpose of NAR’s Smart Growth Progam: to support realtor engagement in land-use related issues with the primary goals of affecting public policies that support a more sustainable development paradigm while raising the profile of realtors as community leaders and enhancing relationships with elected officials. Application Deadlines: April 30, July 31, and October 15, 2014

Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD)
CIRD provides communities access to the resources they need to convert their own good ideas into reality.  CIRD works with communities with populations of 50,000 or less, and offers annual competitive funding to as many as four small towns or rural communities to host a two-and-a-half day community design workshop.  With support from a wide range of design, planning and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to the community’s pressing design challenges. Application Deadline: May 6, 2014

NEA Challenge America Fast-Track
The Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to under-served populations — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. Application Deadline: May 8, 2014

2015 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program
The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council seeks innovative (new, cutting-edge or builds upon existing studies) grant proposals for program development that address the following priority issues: Making Urban Trees and Forests More Resilient ot the Impacts of Natural Disasters and the long-term Impacts of Climate Change, Green Infrastructure Jobs Analysis, Utilizing Green Infrastructure to Manage and Mitigate Stormwater to Improve Water Quality. Application Deadline: May 15, 2014

NEA Art Works
To support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Matching grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. Application Deadline: July 24, 2014

National Park Service Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program
Do you have an idea for a local conservation and outdoor recreation project, but need assistance to move that vision into reality? You do not have to be located near a National Park to receive assistance. Application Deadline: August 1, 2014

People For Bikes Community Grant Program
The People for Bikes Community Grant Program provides funding for important and influential projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. These projects include bike paths and rail trails, as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives. Application Deadline: August 1, 2014

Land and Water Conservation Fund State and Local Assistance Program
The National Park Service provides matching grants to states and through states to local government for the acquisition and development of land and water for outdoor recreation purposes. Application Deadline: August 22, 2014

State Historic Preservation Opportunity Historic Preservation Fund Grants
To provide matching grants to States for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties by such means as survey, planning technical assistance, acquisition, development, and certain Federal tax incentives available for historic properties.  Application Deadline: December 31, 2014

HUD Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grants
Applications must propose to plan for the revitalization of a severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted multifamily housing project located in a distressed neighborhood into a viable, mixed-income community. Individual grants may be for up to a maximum of $500,000. Applications Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE

NEA Our Town
Organizations may apply for creative placemaking projects that contribute to the livability of communities and place the arts at their core. An organization may request a grant amount from $25,000 to $200,000. Application Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants program dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails. Grants value between $500 to $5,000 to improve hiking access or hiker safety. Application Deadline: CHECK BACK FOR 2015 DEADLINE

The Conservation Fund
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accredited
The Conservation Fund has been awarded accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

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