Mitigation and Conservation Banks


Welcome to the home page for McCollum & Sweetwater . . . Your first and last stop for wetland mitigation banks and upland conservation banks.		Serving as one of the nation's premier land banking companies, we specialize in joint venture partnerships with landowners and conservationists.

Credit Sales
Wetland Mitigation Banks
Upland Conservation Banks

Wetland mitigation banks and upland conservation banks ("land banks") are potentially profitable alternatives to traditional commercial and residential development projects. If a parcel has sensitive wildlife habitat or is located within planned wildlife corridors, its highest and best use may be as biological open space. In the past, this represented a significant down zone in terms of value. However, with the land bank option the value may be competitive with typical development strategies.	A critical benefit to creation of a land bank is the economic advantage to the landowner. The ability to sell mitigation or conservation credits provides private landowners with an incentive to develop their lands for conservation, rather than for other purposes. Land banks are important tools in achieving long-term conservation goals and objectives throughout the state. Land banks also benefit those seeking to mitigate impacts through more streamlined and affordable mitigation procedures.
	Conservation banking was formally introduced on April 7, 1995 at a ceremony for Bank of America's Carlsbad Highlands Conservation Bank. At that ceremony, the first-in-the-nation statewide policy encouraging conservation banking was incorporated into federal policy by the Secretary of the Interior.
McCollum Associates was instrumental in the development of the state and federal conservation banking programs. Michael McCollum, as part of a National Mitigation Banking Association working group, helped pass legislation and draft the first national wetland mitigation and banking guideline, the USACOE/EPA 2008 Final Rule on Compensatory Mitigation for wetlands. The Final Rule prioritized mitigation banks as an appropriate mitigation strategy. During that effort, in affiliation with Sweetwater Environmental Biologists, Inc., McCollum & Sweetwater has developed over 20 conservation and mitigation banks in California and nearby states over the past 25 years. No other team has our level of experience or regulatory understanding to create banks individually tailored to landowners' needs. While McCollum & Sweetwater creates and markets land banks in a variety of ways, our specialty is working with landowners through joint venture agreements. This approach allows the landowner to retain significant ownership and income in the bank, yet take advantage of our institutional knowledge and experience.

Wetland Mitigation Banks

Credits for Sale
(Jump to Upland Conservation Banks)

Update 3/13/2025 Good News! The California Department of Fish and Wildlife just issued their Phase C Credit release letter. Projects with Credit reservations will soon receive executable purchase agreements for the number of Credits reserved. Upon receipt, the project proponent has 14 days to make payment of the remaining balance. There are a few unreserved Phase C Credits. We will be in touch with projects on our interest list shortly to discuss process, but after those with Credits reservations are contacted. This could take a week or so. While there is no certainty on timing, we are planning for the next release after Phase C to occur in late 2025 or early 2026. We appreciate your patience! (Riverpark Mitigation Habitat, LLC.) Wetland Resources, Vernal Pools. Riverside County. Service Area: Riverside and San Bernardino Counties Click here for Service Area Map Riverpark Mitigation Bank offers both wetland re-establishment and rehabilitation mitigation Credits. Credits within the Bank can be used in western Riverside County and portions of San Bernardino County Riverpark wetland Credits will provide compensatory mitigation for most 404, 401, 1600, Waters of the U.S, Waters of the State, and MSHCP Riparian Riverine impacts.	The Bank habitat supports a diversity of unique, native hydrophytes. Several species of sensitive plants and animals occur on this 600-acre portion of the floodplain, including smooth tarplant, spreading navarretia, San Jacinto Valley crownscale, and Coulter’s goldfields. The Bank permanently preserves and manages an important ecological resource in Riverside County.	Regional Location Map Call or email for pricing and purchase contracts. mccollum@mccollum.com (916) 708-2727 Barryjones_seb@yahoo.com (619) 742-2068

SOLD OUT (RBV Mitigation Credits, LLC). Wetland/Vernal Pool. *Temecula. Service Area: Western Riverside County. Click here for the Bank Service Area Update 10/7/2024: All credits from this bank are sold and the bank will soon be formally closed. Thank you to all our customers for your support over the years. This bank incorporates the Skunk Hollow Vernal Pool*. With a water surface area exceeding 33 acres, this is the second largest vernal pool in the state. It provides habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, including the Riverside fairy shrimp. This preservation mitigation bank has approximately 136 wetland credits, or functional units, for general wetland impacts in western Riverside County. The bank is formally permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Department of Fish and Game. The bank is fully endowed and managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management. This is a preservation bank . . . in other words, mitigation for "No Net Loss" must be accomplished at another wetland creation site for the first 1:1 mitigation obligation. The balance of any mitigation ratio (e.g. 2:1) can be accomplished at the Barry Jones Bank. The bank can be used for low or high quality wetland impacts. Credits are available now for sale! Click here for a Location Map. Click here for a list of Wildlife Species Found at Skunk Hollow

Upland Conservation Banks
Credits for Sale

(Jump to Wetland Mitigation Banks )

(Techbilt Construction, Inc.) Upland, Coastal Chaparral. Carlsbad.
Service Area: San Diego County including coastal areas.

This 43-acre site is part of a larger biological open space
near Palomar Airport. It is managed by the
Center for Natural Lands Management.

Download Bank Brochure

Remaining Habitat Types Available for Purchase
Coastal sage Oak riparian forest (can be used to meet oak woodland mitigation obligations) Southern Maritime Chaparral Southern Mixed Chaparral Riparian/FWM (not Corps approved)	0.0 4.92 0.53 6.92 2.98

(Tech-Bilt, Inc.). Upland/Maritime Chaparral/Coastal Sage Scrub. Encinitas. Service Area: San Diego County including coastal areas.

No Credits are currently for sale.
Potentially more will become available later. Please call or check this page for updates.

This bank is selling conservation credits for coastal sage scrub and maritime chaparral habitats. Listed plant species abound on this 150-acre bank along the San Diego County coast. If you need mitigation for state or federally listed plants, this may be the place.

(Judd RR Investments, LLC) Upland/Grassland, Burrowing Owl & Vernal Pool Habitat. Ramona.
Service Area: San Diego County (see below).
Click here for a map of the Service Area

UPDATE: 3/2/2023

There are 19.8 NNG/Burrowing Owl Credits remaining and 4.0 vernal pool credits available for sale at this bank.

This bank offers 200 credits of non-native grassland/burrowing owl habitat and vernal pools. The bank's Service Area for grassland credits includes the East Otay Mesa Specific Plan (EOMSP) area within the South County Segment of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) and Planning Units 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 23 of the Draft North County MSCP. Areas outside of this area could use the bank upon concurrence from the Wildlife Agencies. Vernal pool credits are limited to Planning Units 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 23 of the Draft North County MSCP.

Call (916) 708-2727 or email for pricing

Location Map

San Diego Habitat Conservancy video on burrowing owl population at the Bank

San Diego Union Tribune news article

APPROVED BY CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE

Call or email for prices and other information.

(Cadiz, Inc.) Desert Tortoise & Dry Wash Habitat. San Bernardino County.
Service Area: San Bernardino County Desert.
Click here for a map of the Service Area.

This 7,400-acre bank resides in designated critical habitat for the Desert Tortoise in the County of San Bernardino. Credits are immediately available for impacts to desert tortoise habitat, dry wash, and other desert habitats.