A conservation or mitigation bank is privately or publicly owned land managed for its natural resource values. In exchange for permanently protecting, managing, and monitoring the land, the bank sponsor is allowed to sell or transfer habitat credits to permittees who need to satisfy legal requirements and compensate for the environmental impacts of developmental projects.

A privately owned conservation or mitigation bank is a free-market enterprise that:

  • offers landowners economic incentives to protect natural resources;
  • saves permitees time and money by providing them with the certainty of pre-approved compensation lands;
  • consolidates small, fragmented wetland mitigation projects into large contiguous sites that have much higher wildlife habitat values;
  • provides for long-term protection and management of habitat.

A publicly owned conservation or mitigation bank:

  • offers the sponsoring public agency advance mitigation for large projects or multiple years of operations and maintenance.

Conservation (Endangered Species) Banking

A conservation bank generally protects threatened and endangered species and habitat. Credits are established for the specific sensitive species that occur on the site. Conservation banks help to consolidate small, fragmented sensitive species compensation projects into large contiguous preserves which have much higher wildlife habitat values. Other agencies that typically participate in the regulation and approval of conservation banks are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Marine Fisheries Service.

California’s Conservation Banks

See Map at bottom of page to find your region.

Region 2
Region 3
  • Alton North Conservation Bank – Sonoma
    • California tiger salamander; Burke’s goldfields; Sonoma sunshine
  • Brushy Creek Conservation Bank – Contra Costa
    • Closed
  • Burke Ranch Conservation Bank – Solano County
    • California tiger salamander; vernal pool preservation; Swainson’s hawk; burrowing owl foraging habitat
  • Byron Conservation Bank – Alameda
    • Sold Out
  • Haera Wildlife Conservation Bank – Alameda/San Joaquin
    • Sold Out
  • Jenny Farms Conservation Bank – Solano County
    • Closed
  • Liberty Island Conservation Bank – Yolo County
    • Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, delta smelt, longfin smelt, Tule Marsh shaded riverine aquatic
  • Martin Conservation Bank – Sonoma County
    • California tiger salamander
  • Mountain House Conservation Bank – Alameda County
    • Sold Out
  • Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank – Alameda County
    • Sold Out
  • Ohlone West Conservation Bank – Alameda County
    • California red-legged frog; Alamenda whipsnake, California tiger salamander
  • Oursan Ridge Conservation Bank – Contra Costa County
    • Alameda whipsnake; California red-legged frog
  • Pleasanton Ridge Conservation Bank – Alameda County
    • Sold Out
  • Slippery Rock Conservation Bank – Sonoma County
    • Sold Out
  • Swift/ Turner Conservation Bank – Sonoma County
    • Sebastopol meadowfoam; Sonoma sunshine; Burke’s goldfields; California tiger salamander
Region 4
  • Agua Fria Multi-Species Conservation Bank – Merced County
    • Sold Out
  • Alkali Sink Conservation Bank – Fresno County
    • San Joaquin fox; Swainson’s hawk; burrowing owl; vernal pool fairy shrimp; longhorn fairy shrimp
  • Coles Levee Ecosystem Preservation Conservation Bank – Kern County
    • Credits not for sale to the public.
  • Dutchman Creek Conservation Bank – Merced County
    • California tiger salamander; San Joaquin kit fox; Swainson’s hawk; burrowing owl; vernal pool fairy shrimp; vernal pool tadpole shrimp; conservancy fairy shrimp
  • Kern Water Bank Authority Conservation Bank – Kern County
    • San Joaquin kit fox; Tipton kangaroo rat; blunt-nosed leopard lizard; and other T&E Species.
  • Palo Prieto Conservation Bank – Kern & San Louis Obispo Counties
    • San Joaquin kit fox
  • Sparling Ranch Conservation Bank – San Benito & Santa Clara Counties
    • California tiger salamander
Region 5
Region 6
  • Cajon Creek Habitat Conservation Management Area – San Bernardino County
    • 24 T&E species and their associated habitats including: Riversidian alluvial fan sage scrub; San Bernardino kangaroo rat; Santa Ana woolly star; slender-horned spineflower.

Mitigation (Wetlands) Banking

A mitigation bank protects, restores, creates, and enhances wetland habitats. Credits are established to compensate for unavoidable wetland losses. Use of mitigation bank credits must occur in advance of development, when the compensation cannot be achieved at the development site or would not be as environmentally beneficial. Mitigation banking helps to consolidate small, fragmented wetland mitigation projects into large contiguous preserves which will have much higher wildlife habitat values. Mitigation banks are generally approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

California’s Mitigation Banks

See Map at bottom of page to find your region.

Region 1
  • Cottonwood Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank – Shast County –
    • Sold Out
  • Honey Lake Wetlands Mitigation Bank – Lassen County
    • Not for sale to public
  • Stillwater Plains Mitigation Bank – Shasta County
    • vernal pools, Valley elderberry longhorn beetle
Region 2
  • Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank – Yolo County
    • Central Valley steelhead; Chinook salmon – Central Valley spring run, fall/late fall run and winter run; Riverine riparian; Floodplain riparian; Swainson’s hawk nesting buffer
  • Clay Station Mitigation Bank – Sacramento County
    • vernal pools
  • Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank – Sacramento County
    • floodplain mosaic wetlands; floodplain riparian habitat; shaded riverine aquatic habitat; riparian forest
  • Colusa Basin Mitigation Bank – Colusa County
    • seasonal wetlands; giant garter snake
  • Meridian Ranch Mitigation – Butte County
    • vernal pool establishment and vernal pool preservation (includes vernal pool fairy shrimp and vernal pool tadpole shrimp) Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat preservation
  • Sacramento River Ranch Wetlands Mitigation Bank – Yolo
    • freshwater marsh; jurisdictional riparian
  • Sunrise Douglas Mitigation Bank (aka Anatolia Preserve) – Sacramento
    • Sold Out
  • Van Vleck Ranch Mitigation Bank – Sacramento
    • vernal pool; Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat
  • Wildlands (aka Sheridan and Silvergate) Mitigation Bank – Placer
    • Sold Out
Region 3
Region 4
Region 5
Region 6