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The templates and checklists below were developed for California and are a useful guide for those proposing or reviewing conservation banks. However, landowners/bankers should always check first with the Fish and Wildlife Service field office or regional office in your area to see if templates and checklists specific to your area have been developed.

Landowners/Bankers should always contact the nearest Ecological Services Field Office before proposing a conservation bank. The field office may have guidance, including a conservation strategy for the area, with which the landowner/banker will need to be familiar before selecting a bank site or developing a bank proposal.

The General Process

The landowner/banker prepares a Bank Pre-proposal (i.e., brief document describing their idea for a conservation bank) and contacts the Fish and Wildlife Service field office in their area to meet and talk about the prospective bank. If the bank project appears feasible, the banker may then choose to develop a conservation bank proposal or prospectus and submit it to the Service. The bank proposal/prospectus is reviewed by a Conservation Bank Review Team (CBRT). If the CBRT gives conceptual approval to the bank project, then the landowner/banker may proceed with development of the banking documents (i.e., the Conservation Bank Agreement or Bank Enabling Instrument and all of the required Exhibits). Please see pages i through iii of the Bank Enabling Instrument Template below as an example of the documents that may be required. The actual documents required will depend on the species and other resources for which the landowner/banker is seeking credits. Because banks can be complex and the agreements involved are legally binding, it is recommended that landowners/bankers and agency staff communicate frequently on the requirements and the process so all parties have a clear understanding of the details.

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