The ABCs of Conservation Incentives

The conservation and management of farms, ranches and privately-owned forestland is critical to solving a number of environmental challenges facing the United States, including biodiversity protection, clean water, reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases and a host of other issues.

What role they play and why they're important

While laws and regulations are important, they alone are insufficient to affect the conservation and restoration necessary to accomplish our environmental goals because they tend to focus on prohibiting degradation rather than promoting better land stewardship. Conservation of farms, ranches and private forestlands often takes money and requires expertise to write management plans that most landowners don't possess. Thus, a combination of funding and educational assistance is needed to make progress protecting America’s most vital resources: land, water and a diversity of life. This is where conservation programs fit in.

Critical tools for ensuring clean water, open space, good air quality and healthy food

Conservation incentives have proven to be critical and effective tools in enabling landowners to become better stewards of their lands. These programs and agreements -- all voluntary -- can take the form of financial payments for conservation activities, technical assistance from conservation experts, agreements that remove disincentives (such as the fear of additional regulation when a landowner commits to habitat restoration), or other forms.

CCI works to improve farm policies so that they are more effective for both landowners and natural resource conservation. We also work throughout the country on place-based projects to demonstrate how incentives can be effective in improving water quality, restoring wildlife habitat, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Posted: 04-May-2006; Updated: 28-Sep-2009