By Ben Guillon, CEO, Conservation Investment Management
With conservation banking, landowners can be fairly compensated for preserving and restoring protected species habitat on their property. The Table Top Conservation Bank located in Livermore is the first example of its kind in Colorado, and others may soon be available.
This conservation bank was developed by Ben Guillon and the Table Top Conservation Company on a parcel owned by the Colorado State Land Board (SLB). The project goal is to restore and preserve habitat for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse to generate conservation credits.
The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse is a small rodent with habitat existing only along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming and is listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The property is protected through a permanent conservation easement held by Colorado Open Lands. The mouse habitat is restored over time through improved grazing management, seeding and planting, and invasive weed removal. Through an agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the conservation bank is authorized to sell conservation credits to developers who need a federal permit to impact Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat. So far, all the credits from the bank have been sold to Northern Water to compensate for the impacts of the Glade Reservoir. The Colorado State Land Board receives a share of credit sales through a lease agreement and uses these funds to support Colorado public schools. The SLB has received $500,000 (roughly $2,000 per acre) and they will probably receive another check of similar size in the coming years.
Because of the success of this innovative approach, Ben Guillon and the Table Top Conservation Company received the 2022 Lessee of the Year Award from the State Land Board. Building on these positive results, they are now looking to develop additional conservation banks in the area and are seeking landowners interested in partnering.
For more information contact Ben Guillon at ben@conservationinvestment.com or (720) 443-3879.
Learn more about the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse Site Conservation Teams here.
You can follow the North Fork Poudre Prebles SCT here.
