Conservation and Mitigation Banks [ds2782]

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 permitees who need to satisfy legal requirements and compensate for the environmental impacts of developmental projects. 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. 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.保育银行（conservation bank）与缓解银行（mitigation bank）指以自然资源价值为管护目标的私有或公有土地。作为对该土地实施永久性保护、管理与监测的对价，银行发起人可向需满足法定要求、弥补开发项目环境影响的被许可方出售或转让生境额度（habitat credits）。 （濒危物种）保育银行（Conservation (Endangered Species) Banking） 此类银行通常以保护受威胁与濒危物种及其生境为目标，额度将根据场地内存在的特定敏感物种进行核定。保育银行可将零散分布的小型敏感物种补偿项目整合为连片的大型保护地，此类保护地的野生生物生境价值显著更高。通常参与保育银行监管与审批的其他机构包括美国鱼类及野生动物管理局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service）与美国国家海洋和大气管理局-国家海洋渔业局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Marine Fisheries Service）。 （湿地）缓解银行（Mitigation (Wetlands) Banking） 此类银行负责保护、修复、创设并改善湿地生境，其额度用于弥补不可避免的湿地面积损失。当无法在开发场地内完成补偿，或该场地补偿的环境效益不足时，需在开发活动启动前使用缓解银行额度。缓解银行可将零散分布的小型湿地缓解项目整合为连片的大型保护地，此类保护地的野生生物生境价值显著更高。缓解银行通常由加州鱼类及野生动物局（California Department of Fish and Wildlife）、美国鱼类及野生动物管理局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service）、美国陆军工程兵团（U.S. Army Corps of Engineers）以及美国环境保护署（U.S. Environmental Protection Agency）审批通过。