Incentives and Land Acquisition: Key Tools for Restoring Fish and Wildlife Habitat

Daniel A. Hall
Forest Biodiversity Program, American Lands, 5825 N. Greely, Portland, OR 97217; wafcfbp@teleport.com

Abstract

Financial support and other landowner incentives can be a valuable tool for promoting restoration of habitats for imperiled and sensitive fish, wildlife, and plants, and thereby supplementing the Endangered Species Act and ogher resource policies. This paper highlights various incentives approaches, as well as goals and general principles for incentives programs. It also considers situations in which incentives are less likely to be effective and other ecosystem protection and restoration tools will be needed, such as funding for acquisition of lands and conservation easements. These latter situations are likely to be quiet significant. Some types of landowners and land management and development operations that convert native habitats are unlikely to be swayed by incentives alone. Potential funding sources for boths incentives and acquisition programs are identified.