Conservation Banking Overview and Suggestions for Future Analysis

Understanding the organization of the conservation banking program, and reviewing its performance can provide critical information needed to facilitate the development of additional banks in the future. This document is the first step of an analysis to review conservation banking data, identify impediments to conservation bank creation, investigate and find areas for potential program efficiencies, and develop options to encourage the expanded use of conservation banking. This paper provides an introduction and background information important to understanding how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conservation banking program operates, and insights into factors that may facilitate or hinder the development of more robust conservation banking markets, as well as suggestions for areas of future analysis.