Tim Sullivan
Regional Director, Rocky Mountain Office - Environmental Defense

Excerpt from Program:
"The Endangered Species Act (ESA) can serve as a deterrent to some landowners who are interested in managing their land to create or improve habitat for listed species. Yet, most listed species are dependent on private lands and nearly all will require improved habitat conditions on private lands if they are to recover. Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs) are two tools that help protect landowners from the potentially negative consequences of the ESA if they voluntarily agree to improve habitat conditions on their lands for listed species. Environmental Defense has had a great deal of experience in assisting private landowners with working lands that also harbor endangered species. This presentation will provide examples of how Safe Harbor Agreements have helped a diverse set of landowners remain good stewards, without the concerns of additional limits on uses of their land from the ESA. These tools can work well when combined with other conservation incentive programs, such as conservation elements of the Farm Bill or conservation easements."

Presentation Outline:

• Environmental Defense
• Finding the Ways that Work
• Center for Conservation Incentives
• Private Lands and the ESA
• Private Lands Critical
• Why the ESA is Under-achieving
• The Dilemma
• Keys to Landowner Cooperation
• Solving the dilemma: Safe Harbor Agreements
• What Are Safe Harbor Agreements?
• Candidate Conservation Agreements
• Initial Success
• Back from the Brink Campaign
• Other Safe Harbor or CCCA Projects Involving Ranchlands