State and Federal Biodiversity Program

The Environmental Law Institute operates an on-going collaborative program devoted to the protection of biological diversity at the state level. The objective of ELI’s State and Federal Biodiversity Program is to improve biodiversity protection by identifying both obstacles to and opportunities for the conservation of biological diversity on the state and local level. The method we have utilized is to work in collaboration with local partners to formulate and implement statewide strategies for biodiversity protection and restoration.

Workshop to Explore Opportunities to Integrate the State Wildlife Action Plans into Improved Wetland Conservation and Restoration
July 16-17, 2007
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Conference Center
Washington, DC 20036

 

Hosted by:
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Association of State Wetland Managers
Environmental Law Institute
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

 

Mapping High-Risk Critical Habitats

Development due to urbanization, exurbanization, and associated infrastructure will continue to be among the most significant threats to wildlife conservation in the coming thirty to forty years. Between 1980 and 2000, the footprint of development in the United States expanded from 10.1% of the land area to 13.3%, growing roughly at a rate of 1.60% annually. By 2020, the development footprint of urban and suburban housing is expected to expand to 2.2 percent of developable land, while the footprint of exurban development is expected to expand to 14.3 percent of developable land.

Land Trust Training Course: Taking on Long-Term Stewardship Responsibilities of Wetland Mitigation Sites

The Environmental Law Institute, in partnership with the Center for Natural Lands Management and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, developed a training course designed to improve the capacity of local and regional land trusts to manage wetland mitigation sites and meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act §404 program. The course provided interested land trusts with an overview of the §404 Program, the tools to evaluate proposed mitigation projects, and the ability to calculate adequate long-term stewardship needs.

Long Term Stewardship of Contaminated Sites

The Naturally Green Planning Program helps integrate conservation science and land-use planning through publications that identify effective policies and policy reforms and translate science into practical guidelines. The recommendations in our publications are designed to help planners ensure that traditional land-use tools are science-based and reflect conservation principles.

Featured Areas of Expertise and Resources:

Subscribe to Land & Biodiversity