The Central Valley Habitat Exchange Creating new financial returns for landowners Jane Urheim Dan Kaiser, Ann Hayden

Introduction Environmental Defense Fund – San Francisco office 1) Economic and science-based solutions to environmental issues 2) Partnerships with companies, landowners, fishermen Area of focus: Ecosystems Central Valley Habitat Exchange (CVHE) Disclaimer about CVHE because it is still in the stages of development.

What is a Habitat Exchange? Allows developers, municipalities, or those impacting habitat to offset those impacts by purchasing “habitat credits” from landowners who undertake conservation activities on their property Other conservation tools currently used: Habitat Conservation Plans/Natural Community Conservation Plans Land trusts Conservation banks Give 6 acres example

Central Valley Habitat Exchange New initiative that provides farmers and ranchers with financial incentives to maintain, restore, and/or enhance habitat for at-risk species in the Central Valley. Chinook salmon Swainson’s hawk Giant Garter Snake First: The Central Valley is one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions. Development and agricultural production in the Central Valley have replaced more than 95% of wetland, riparian, floodplain habitat.

Other key aspects of the CVHE 1) Landowners as part of the solution 2) Agricultural land providing habitat for at-risk species 3) Habitat Quantification Tool (HQT) Standardized metric to measure habitat quality Species-specific Excel + Google Earth

Research California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Focus on mitigation for Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, Yuba, Sutter, San Joaquin counties Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), agencies must review projects to determine if they may result in significant impacts on natural and biological resources, including listed and non-listed species. Agencies are required, where possible, to avoid or minimize a project’s environmental impacts on these non-listed species.

Communications/Outreach 1) StoryBook StoryMap 2) Swainson’s hawk HQT guidance brochure 3) California Farm Bureau survey questions Sample questions: Do you currently make any management decisions on your land for the benefit of wildlife? How willing would you be to change land management practices for conservation or mitigation purposes?

Obstacles Still an idea, complicated to explain Many other conservation tools available in CA Question of demand Wildlife agency approval for the Habitat Quantification Tool

Reflection Environmental policy is slow-moving; need patience Honed critical thinking skills Learned a lot, can apply to any part of policy Good to work in an office Being in SF was awesome – got to go to Yosemite, Big Sur, etc. Maybe work in environmental policy, maybe not, but overall wonderful experience.

Acknowledgements Princeton Environmental Institute for funding Environmental Defense Fund: Dan Kaiser Manager, California Habitat Markets Ann Hayden Director, CA Habitat Exchange & Western Water