2012 Annual Conference
May 8–11, 2012
Sheraton Grand Sacramento &
Convention Center
Sacramento, California
Conference
by JT&A, inc.
National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference
c/o JT&A, inc.
14524-F Lee Road
Chantilly, VA 20151
Phone: (800) 726-4853
Fax: (703) 997-8690
Email: cbahler@comcast.net
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| CONFERENCE AGENDA
Opening Session begins Wednesday (May 9) at 4:30 p.m.
|
| MONDAY,
May 7, 2012 |
| 12:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
Registration
Open |
TUESDAY,
May 8, 2012
Pre-Conference Workshops & Field Trips |
| 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. |
Registration
Open |
8
a.m. - Noon
(optional
activity)
Registration
includes reference materials and online audio proceedings.
REGISTER
NOW! |
Mitigation
& Conservation Banking
Primer Workshop 101
Early
registration fee: $145 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $195
(by 3/15/12)
Late/Onsite Fee: $225 (after 3/15/12)
Facilitators: Robert W. Brumbaugh, Senior Policy Analyst, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, Va.; Greg Sutter, Vice President, Westervelt Ecological Services, Sacramento, Calif., and Craig Denisoff, Craig Denisoff Consulting, Davis, Calif.
Click here for more Workshop information |
| Noon - 4 p.m. |
Exhibitor Setup |
12:15 - 2:15 p.m.
(optional activity)
Box lunch provided
Session not recorded.
REGISTER
NOW!
|
RIBITS Training Workshop
Early
registration fee: $40 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $50
(by 3/15/12)
Late fee (if space available): $55 (after 3/15/12)
Facilitated by Steve Martin, Environmental Planner, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Va.
RIBITS (Regulatory In lieu fee and Bank Information Tracking System) is a web-based application developed by the Corps with support from EPA and US FWS. RIBITS is being utilized by the Corps and FWS to provide information on mitigation and conservation banking activities. RIBITS provides a range of information on mitigation and conservation banking including bank locations, service areas, credit type and availability, ledgers, and supporting documentation.
The first hour of the workshop is an orientation to RIBITS for all users and includes navigation in RIBITS, overview of RIBITS features, user-generated queries of RIBITS data, export of data, and geographic searches.
The second hour is aimed at bank sponsors, Corps and FWS Bank Managers, and IRT members. It focuses on entering and editing data in RIBITS, including entering credit transactions in bank ledgers, loading documents and images, creation of bank limits and service areas, and editing bank data. |
1 - 5 p.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank
hosted by Westervelt Ecological Services
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/112
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 1 p.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
1 - 5 p.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Sutter Basin Tour
hosted by The Natomas Basin Conservancy, Westervelt Ecological Services and Wildlands
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/12)
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 1 p.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
2:30 - 6 p.m.
(optional
activity)
Registration
includes reference materials and online audio proceedings.
REGISTER
NOW!
|
Stream
Mitigation Banking &
Restoration Workshop
Early
registration fee: $145 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $195
(by 3/15/12)
Late/Onsite Fee: $225 (after 3/15/12)
Facilitators: Tara Disy Allden, Regulatory Manager, Restoration Systems, Raleigh, N.C., Cynthia Robinson, President, Robinsong Ecological Services, Madison, Ala., and Steve Jones, Vice President, Environmental Services, Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga.
Click here for more Workshop information |
| |
WEDNESDAY,
May 9, 2012 |
| 7 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. |
Registration
Open |
7 - 10 a.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank
hosted by Westervelt Ecological Services
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/112
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 7 a.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
7 - 10 a.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Sutter Basin Tour
hosted by The Natomas Basin Conservancy, Westervelt Ecological Services and Wildlands
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/12)
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 7 a.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
10 - 11:30 a.m.
(Corps
Regulatory staff only)
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW! |
National Corps Workshop (only for U.S. Army Corps staff involved in the IRT process)
Facilitated by Meg Gaffney-Smith, Chief, Regulatory Program, and David Olson, Regulatory Program Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C., and Robert Brumbaugh, Senior Policy Analyst, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, Va.
Corps staff involved in the IRT process will address concerns, share experiences and learn more about the IRT process. (Corps IRT staff should submit questions and/or concerns for discussion to cbahler@comcast.net.)
No
additional charge for this
workshop, but registration
for workshop is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
10 - 11:30 a.m.
(USFWS & NOAA staff only)
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW! |
National USFWS-NOAA Workshop (for USFWS and NOAA staff involved in the conservation banking permitting process)
Moderators: Deborah Mead, National Conservation Banking Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Va., and Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, NOAA, Silver Spring, Md.
USFWS and NOAA staff involved in the conservation banking regulatory process will address concerns, share experiences and learn more about the process. (FWS and NOAA regulator staff should submit questions and/or concerns for discussion to cbahler@comcast.net.)
No
additional charge for this
workshop, but registration
for workshop is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW! |
Annual National Mitigation
Banking Association Meeting (NMBA)
The National Mitigation Banking Association will hold its annual meeting. All NMBA members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
No
additional charge for this
meeting, but registration is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
11:30 a.m. -
12:30 p.m.
(for Bankers, Suppliers, Consultants)
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW!
|
Bankers’
Forum
Facilitated
by Stephen Collins, President,
NMBA
The last part of the NMBA meeting will be devoted to a forum to address questions and concerns from bankers. (Questions/concerns for Forum discussion should be submitted prior to the Conference; submit questions and/or concerns for discussion to cbahler@comcast.net.)
This forum is only for bankers and those interested in banking (not for users or regulators).
No
additional charge for this
forum, but registration is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
11:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
(for
Users)
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW! |
User's
Forum
Facilitated by Corrie Veenstra, Ecologist, Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. and Susan Asmus, Staff Vice President for Environmental Regulatory Affairs, National Home Builders Association, Washington, D.C.
A gathering of those involved in the use of mitigation and conservation banks and other ecosystem programs throughout the United States in an effort to share experiences and address special concerns to users. (User attendees should submit questions and/or concerns for discussion to cbahler@comcast.net.)
No
additional charge for this
forum, but registration is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
11:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m.
(Regulators
only)
Session not recorded.
NO
ADDITIONAL FEE!
REGISTER
NOW! |
Regulators'
Forum
Facilitated by Steve Martin, Environmental Planner, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Va., Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, Wetlands Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., Deborah Mead, National Conservation Banking Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Va., and Susan-Marie Stedman, Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Silver Spring, Md.
This forum is a venue for federal and state regulators involved in regulating mitigation and conservation banking (those on IRTs) to discuss joint issues and concerns. (Regulator attendees should submit questions and/or concerns well in advance of the Conference to cbahler@comcast.net.)
No
additional charge for this forum, but registration
is required
– use Conference Registration
form. |
| 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. |
Lunch on your own. |
| 2:30 - 4 p.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 1.
Business of Banking Primer 102
Moderator: George I. Platt, General Counsel & Partner, The Wetlandsbank™ Group, West Palm Beach, Fla.
 Death of a Salesman (and the Challenge of Selling Credits). Travis Hemmen, Business and Market Development, Westervelt Ecological Services, Sacramento, Calif.
Meeting the Short Term Financial Assurance Requirement. Robert Spoth, President, Ecosystems Insurance Associates, LLC, Woodbridge, Va.
Risk and Investment Decision in the Mitigation Banking Industry. Ben Guillon, Manager of Acquisitions, New Forests Inc., San Francisco, Calif.
SESSION 2.
Conservation & Fish Banking
MODERATOR: Maura Eagan Moody, Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Conservation Banking for a Highly Migratory Species: Establishing Bank Locations & Credit Systems that Benefit Salmon & Steelhead. Howard Brown, Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Sacramento, Calif.
Liberty Island Conservation Bank for Salmon, Delta Smelt and Longfin Smelt. Julie Mentzer, Director of Environmental Operations, Wildlands PNW, Portland, Ore. (Co-author: Carl Jensen, ICF Jones & Stokes International)
East Austin Creek Conservation Bank–Breaking New Ground for In-Stream Species Restoration & Conservation. Michael McCollum, Owner, McCollum Associates, Sacramento, Calif. |
| 4
- 4:30 .m. |
Break in Exhibit Area |
| 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
OPENING SESSION PLENARY |
MODERATOR: Stephen M. Collins, President, National Mitigation Banking Association
Colonel William J. Leady, District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Sacramento, Calif.
Daniel M. Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. (invited) |
| 5:30
- 7 p.m. |
CoHosted by
JT&A, inc. with Wildlands and Timbervest, LLC
|
| |
THURSDAY,
May 10, 2012 |
| 7 a.m.
- 6:30 p.m. |
Registration Open |
| 8 - 9:30 a.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 3.
Corps Implementation of the Mitigation Rule
Moderator: Robert Brumbaugh, Senior Policy Analyst and Group Manager,
Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, Va.
New SOP for Calculating Compensatory Mitigation Credits for the State of Georgia. Justin Hammonds, District Mitigation Liaison, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Buford, Ga.
Mitigation Process Improvements within USACE Ft. Worth District. Brent Jasper, Senior Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ft. Worth, Tex.
The Ins & Outs of Mitigation Banking in the Sacramento District. James Robb, Senior Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, Calif.
SESSION 4.
Conservation, Species and Habitat Banking
Moderator: Deborah Mead, National Conservation Banking Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Va.
Mitigation for Non-listed Species: A Case Study with Greater Sage-grouse. Shauna Ginger, Ecosystem Services Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Ore.
Deerleap Preserve Conservation Bank–Endangered Species Protection in Georgia. Kelly Siragusa, Conservation/Mitigation Manager, CORBLU Ecology, LLC, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Hays County HCP and the Integration of Conservation Banking and HCPs in Texas. Tanya Sommer, Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Biologist,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin, Tex.
|
| 9:30 - 10 a.m. |
Break in Exhibit Area |
| 10 - 11:30 a.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 5. Emerging Markets
Moderator: Wayne White, Director of Business Development, Wildlands, Rocklin, Calif.
The Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project. Jessica Fox, Senior Scientist, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif.
New Environmental Mitigation Policy in British Columbia, Canada. Jenny L. Feick, Manager, Strategic Policy and Adaptation, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Victoria, B.C.
Effectiveness of Biodiversity Banking from Perspective of Japan. Kii Hayashi, Professor, EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan (Co-authors: Takahiro Ota, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University and Hideyuki Ito, Designated Assistant Professor, Nagoya University)
SESSION 6. Tracking & Assessment
Moderator: Erik J. Meyers, Vice President for Sustainable Programs, The Conservation Fund, Arlington, Va.
New Federal Mitigation Rule–- Increased Availability & Use of Banks? Sheri F. Lewin, President, Environmental Resource Marketing, Clermont, Fla.
An Analysis of National Mitigation and Conservation Banking Status and Trends Using RIBITS. Steven M. Martin, Environmental Planner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources, Norfolk, Va. and Deborah Mead, National Conservation Banking Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Va. |
| |
11:30 a.m. -
1:45 p.m. |
LUNCHEON PLENARY |
Trends in Banking
Moderator: Steve Morgan, President & CEO, Wildlands, Rocklin, Calif.
ILF Programs Nationally & the Movement to Utilize ILF Funds to Purchase Mitigation Banking Credits. Doug Lashley, Managing Member, GreenVest, LLC, Annapolis, Md.
Louisiana Restoration and Contracting. George A. Howard, President, Restoration Systems, LLC, Raleigh, N.C.
Mitigation Banking Industry: Growing, Shrinking or Consolidating? David Urban, Director of Operations, Ecosystem Investment Partners, Towson, Md. |
| |
| 2 - 3:30 p.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 7. Mitigation Planning
Moderator: Cara Roderick, Statewide Banking Coordinator, California Department of Fish & Game, Sacramento, Calif.
Collaborative Planning by California’s Infrastructure Agencies: Regional Advance Mitigation Planning (RAMP) Initiative and the Statewide Advance Mitigation Initiative (SAMI). Andrea Williams, Senior Mitigation Biologist, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, Calif. (Co-author: Natasha Nelson, Program Manager, FESSRO, California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento, Calif.)
Water Rights’ Role in Ecosystem Service Markets of the West. Chris Corbin, President, Lotic Water Marketing, Missoula, Mont.
Reconciling the Rule–When the “Law of the Land” Clashes with State and Local Rules and the Impact on Bankers and Regulated Community. Sheri F. Lewin, President, Environmental Resource Marketing, Clermont, Fla.
SESSION 8. Stream & Wetland Banking
Moderator: Robert Kessler, President & CEO, Environmental Heritage Investors, LLC, St. Augustine, Fla.
Mitigation Banking in Puerto Rico. Jaime Pabon, Vice President and Branch Manager, Ecological Services Division, Atkins Caribe, San Juan, P.R.
Strategies & Challenges of Incorporating Ephemeral Streams in the Mobile District Stream Mitigation Guidelines. Mike Moxey, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala.
Nebraska Stream Condition Assessement Protocol. Karen Lawrence, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Neb. |
| 3:30 - 4 p.m. |
Break in Exhibit Area |
| 4 - 5:30 p.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 9. Stewardship & Sustainability
Moderator: Palmer Hough, Environmental Scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Division, Washington, D.C.
Endowment Update – The Long, Dusty Trail to Financial Sustainability. Greg DeYoung, Vice President, Westervelt Ecological Services, Sacramento, Calif.
Effective Mitigation Partnerships: Understanding the Land Trust Perspective. Sylvia Bates, Director of Standards and Research, Land Trust Alliance, Canterbury, N.H.
Meeting the Long-term Financial Assurances and Stewardship Requirements for Both Mitigation and Ecosystem Banks. Sherry Teresa, President, Ecological Solutions Consulting, Springdale, Utah
SESSION 10. Success Stories & Lessons Learned
Moderator: Tara Disy Allden, Regulatory Manager, Restoration Systems, Raleigh, N.C.
Increasing Land Value through Mitigation Banking – A Case Study of Cajon Creek Conservation Area. Douglas W. Sprague, Manager of Reclamation, Vulcan Materials Company, Los Angeles, Calif.
Finding Common Ground: A Regulator’s & Bank Sponsor’s Take on Service Areas. Kathleen Dadey, Ph.D., Chief, California Delta Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, Calif. and Hal Holland, Sr. Conservation Planner, Westervelt Ecological Services, Sacramento, Calif.
The MBI as a Legal Document – Lessons Learned. Justin McCorcle, Assistant District Counsel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, N.C. |
| 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. |
Social Hour in Exhibit Area
Sponsorships available, contact Carlene
Bahler at cbahler@comcast.net |
| |
FRIDAY,
May 11, 2012 |
| 7 a.m.
- 4 p.m. |
Registration Open |
| 7:30 - 9 a.m. |
BREAKFAST PLENARY |
Legislative, Regulatory and Litigation Update
Moderator: Randy Wilgis, Incoming President, National Mitigation Banking Association
Brief presentations followed by moderated Q&A and discussion.
Margaret (Peggy) N. Strand, Esquire, Venable LLP, Washington, D.C.
Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Endangered Species,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.
Denise Keehner, Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Margaret (Meg) Gaffney-Smith, Chief, Regulatory Program,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C.
Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, NOAA,
Silver Spring, Md. |
| 9 - 9:15 a.m. |
Break in Exhibit Area |
| 9:15 - 10:45 a.m. |
CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
SESSION 11.
The Science of Banking
Moderator: Richard Mogensen, President, Mogensen Mitigation, Inc., Concord, N.C.
Up in Smoke: A Legal, Financial & Ecological Comparison of Prescribed Fire on Conservation Lands. Matt Gause, Senior Ecologist, Westervelt Ecological Services, Sacramento, Calif.
15 Years of Vegetation Changes at Cottonwood Creek Wetland Mitigation Banking. Richard Lis, Ph.D., Environmental Scientist, California Department of Fish and Game, Redding, Calif.
An Assessment Framework for Making Compensatory Mitigation Determinations in California. Richard Sumner, Regional Science Liaison, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Ore.
SESSION 12.
Users/Customers–Needs & Challenges
Moderator: George W. Kelly, Director of Business Development and Founder, Environmental Banc & Exchange, LLC, Owings Mills, Md.
Bank User Regulatory Hurdles and What it Means to Mitigation Banks. Brian Plant, Counsel, Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley, Sacramento, Calif.
Connecting Users with Bankers, FHWA Perspective. Corrie Veenstra, Ecologist, Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Risk Assessment & Return on Investment for the Customer. David C. Robinson, CEO, Mitigation Procurement Systems, Raleigh, N.C. |
| |
| 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
POST-CONFERENCE FIELD TRIPS |
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Van Vleck Mitigation Bank & Gill Ranch Conservation Bank
hosted by Conservation Resources and Westervelt Ecological Services
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/112
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 11 a.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(optional activity)
click
here for
FIELD TRIP DETAILS
REGISTER
NOW! |
FIELD
TRIP
Liberty Island Fish Bank
hosted by Wildlands
Early
registration fee: $45 (by
1/25/12)
Pre-conference fee: $55
(by 3/15/112
Late fee (if space available): $75 (after 3/15/12)
Buses depart Convention Center entrance
at 11 a.m.
See
special section on Field Trips
in this program for more details. |
| 11 a.m. |
Conference Adjourns |
| |
|
|
