Conservation Mitigation Program

What is Conservation Mitigation?

Conservation Mitigation is a process where agencies, organizations, and individuals who in the course of their operations (like building a new highway) adversely affect natural resources and habitats and are responsible for restoring, enhancing and protecting an equal or greater amount of these resources and habitats in another location. As an example, a road widening project may affect an adjacent stream habitat that results in adverse affects on rare, threatened or endangered plants or animals. When this occurs, regulatory agencies require "mitigation" in the form of restoration and permanent protection (easement or ownership) of other habitat areas either on or near the construction site.

What is the Conservation Mitigation Program?

The Conservation Mitigation Program is designed to assist landowners in:

• Developing a better understanding of the natural resources and resource management needs of their property
• Developing a better understanding of the conservation values of their property and how these values relate to mitigation
• Developing a better understanding of the concept of mitigation easements including land restrictions, legal issues and resource management issues in perpetuity
• Connecting these willing easement sellers with willing easement buyers that address mitigation needs in Alameda County through the Partnership for Land Conservation and Stewardship

This is accomplished by:

• Conducting a thorough resource inventory and evaluation process of the property
• Developing a detailed Resource Management Plan for the property, including recommendations to improve or expand the conservation values of the property
• Conducting workshops and training sessions to assist landowners in developing a better understanding of the concepts of easements

For questions and more information on the Conservation Mitigation Program please contact Terry Huff at 925-371-0154 ext 116 or email at terence.huff@ca.usda.gov.

Partnership for Land Conservation and Stewardship

What is the Partnership for Land Conservation and Stewardship?

The Alameda County Partnership for Land Conservation and Stewardship (PLCS) is a facilitation program intended to bring together landowners interested in selling easements and offering resource enhancement projects on their property with funding sources interested in buying those easements or in constructing the enhancements. Rather than develop a new land trust, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors elected to develop a facilitating entity that would work cooperatively with landowners, conservation organizations, and others to coordinate protection of the County's natural resources. PLCS works to educate landowners about conservation and mitigation easements, while it brings together the landowners, mitigating entities, and easement holding entities to complete a mitigation transaction on private lands.

PLCS, in its second year, has begun establishing mitigation easements among willing sellers and mitigation entities.

For questions and more information on PLCS please contact Leslie Koenig at 925-371-0154 ext 115.