Does your property have the potential to become a wetland or conservation mitigation bank? Below are some general guidelines to review.

What kind of properties would make good wetland mitigation banks? We are interested in properties of at least 200 acres in size and have the following characteristics: 1. Potential bank sites must have wetland hydrologic characteristics that can be restored. For example, the removal of a levee or removal of subsurface drainage pipes in a floodplain farm field site may restore near surface soil wetland hydrology. 2. Potential bank sites must exhibit low wetland functional value and have the opportunity to create higher values. Most existing high quality wetlands cannot be preserved as banks. The use of those acres as offsets for other wetlands lost would result in an overall net loss of wetlands. 3. Potential bank sites should be substantial in size (usually greater than 200 acres, depending on the site’s location and potential) in order to maximize the values derived from the functions created on the site. 4. Potential bank sites should be located adjacent to larger existing natural areas including other wetlands, lakes, estuaries, or rivers.

What characteristics make a good conservation bank? 1. Conservation banks need to have habitat that is deemed essential to the survival of endangered species. 2. Conservation banks can either have the essential habitat present and highly functioning, partially degraded, or almost entirely degraded (as long as it is possible and plausible that the habitat can be restored), each of these stages of ecological function has potential value as a conservation bank. 3. Conservation banks need to be of substantial size, again over 50 acres in size, but this is primarily dependant on the endangered species in question. 4. Proximity to or being adjacent to habitat areas associated with the endangered species in question will increase the value of the property.

If you feel that your property, or you know of a property, that has these characteristics and are interested in talking with us about a possible partnership or for-sale deal, please either call Jerome Ryan at (415)990-0525, or email at jerome@envmp.com