Achieving restoration goals while reducing regulatory and pest burdens on farmers and stakeholders

Neighboring landowner concerns about pest issues and endangered species regulations often generate opposition to habitat restoration. EDAW is partnering with TNC and the Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum’s Advisory Workgroup of farmers, landowners and land managers to reduce adverse effects of pests and regulations on neighboring, primarily agricultural, stakeholders while attaining restoration goals. This presentation evaluates potential pest and regulatory issues and examines potential solutions that enable both restoration and neighboring stakeholder goals to be met. Agreements examined include Good Neighbor Policies, Neighboring Landowner Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding, Safe Harbor Agreements, Habitat Conservation Plans, streamlined permitting, and self-mitigating restoration design principles which reduce the risk of transboundary wildlife conflicts. Agreements are compared on 9 criteria: formality of assurances for stakeholders, level of protection for wildlife, flexibility, simplicity, level of responsibility held by restoration proponents, level of responsibility held by neighboring stakeholders, timeline to completion, length of time the agreement is binding, and financial cost. This approach may be used by both restoration proponents and neighboring landowners to identify the best tools to meet specific pest and regulatory concerns.