Earlier this year, Gabe Watson and EmmaLi Tsai participated in a workshop hosted by Defenders of Wildlife to help researchers create better maps at the intersection of environmental justice and conservation. Decisions from the workshop resulted in this user guide & website, which walks users through a more collaborate and inclusive approach to conservation that considers biodiversity, climate change, and environmental justice. To put the framework and shared principles into practice, the guide also features a case study using the National Wildlife Refuge System to show where future land acquisition should be prioritized.
At the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), our goal is to advance ecological restoration at scale, yet permitting costs consume up to ⅓ of project budgets. We need money to go to nature, not paperwork. Over the past two years, EPIC has quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed policies and processes related to restoration project permitting. Here we provide a case study of adoption of e-permitting technology that ameliorated many permitting bottlenecks.
Tim Male, Executive Director of EPIC, co-wrote an article in Ecosystem Marketplace with Mariana Sarmiento and Charles Bedford on how to close the biodiversity finance gap.
How could Maryland legislators build a sandbox for nature to accelerate restoration?
The US Department of Agriculture has contracted at least seven RCPP projects that used performance-based payments to buy environmental outcomes. This report profiles their challenges and successes.
Sand County Foundation and the Environmental Policy Innovation Center evaluate the successes, challenges, and immediate opportunities for watershed partnerships in the Midwest.
Pennsylvania’s Utilization of the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) IIJA Funding
A Revolving Loan Fund Could Help Protect Watersheds, Biodiversity and Public Access in America’s National Forests
A Balancing Act: Optimizing Payment Schedules in Environmental Pay for Success Contracts
How Government Grants Can Use Innovative Contracting Methods to Open Rivers for Fish
Procurement doesn’t need to be a choke point
Biodiversity Net Gain: Understanding the Most Ambitious Biodiversity Policy in the World
Chesapeake Currency: A current snapshot of private investment flowing into watershed conservation and restoration
Pay for Success: Analyzing and Evaluating an Emerging Way of Government Contracting
Pay for Success 101 Resource Guide
Purchasing Environmental Progress
A look at four new natural resource procurement bills
Delivering Faster Restoration with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Funding
2022 Maryland Conservation Finance Act Support Letters
The Maryland Conservation Finance Act is a variety of tweaks to authorize new, simpler contracting approaches and attract more private investment in conservation. These letters showcase the bill’s broad support.
2022 Maryland Conservation Finance Act Explainer
The Maryland Conservation Finance Act is a variety of tweaks to authorize new, simpler contracting approaches and attract more private investment in conservation. This publication explains each section of the bill.
EPIC & CGS provide comments to USGS RFI to inform interagency efforts to develop the American Conservation Stewardship Atlas
Maryland Clean Water Commerce Act Explainer
Getting to 30x30: Recommendations to Support Greater Private Investment in Private Lands Conservation
Private Conservation Finance: The Chesapeake Bay’s Global Lead and How to Expand It
Sandboxing Nature
