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June 2008: Ceres and the Heinz Center announced the launch of the Resilient Coasts Initiative, a first-of-its-kind collaboration of private and public sector groups to find public policy and private market solutions to better protect coastal communities from rising sea levels and other potentially damaging consequences of climate change. For more information, see the News Release.
Email list: News and opportunities related to marine conservation agreements will be periodically distributed to an email list. Click here if you would like to receive the updates.
May 2008: Volunteers are needed for the world's largest seagrass restoration project at the Virginia Coast Reserve. For more information, download the flyer (pdf, 855k).
April 2008: The Kiribati Government recently established regulations for the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the largest MPA in the world. The establishment of the MPA was facilitated by conservation agreements with the New England Aquarium and Conservation International. For more information, see the news release.
March 2008:
- Read Sea Greens in the Nature Conservancy Magazine to learn how scientists use leasing along California's coast to undertake research.
- Read Rent-a-tree in the Economist to learn how Conservation International is protecting the environment through leasing.
June 2008: An invitational workshop (see the description, agenda and program guide) on marine conservation agreements was held on Bainbridge Island (near Seattle), Washington.
June/July 2008: A session on the Leasing & Ownership Toolkit was presented at The Coastal Society's 21st International Conference in Redondo, California. For more information, see the conference website.
October 2008:
- A ½-day Learning Opportunity Event on Using Incentive Agreements for Ocean and Coastal Conservation will be held at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain. For more information, download the Event proposal or see the conference website.
- Management and conservation of intertidal and subtidal areas will be discussed this year at the International Submerged Lands Management Conference to be held in Michigan.
Ocean and coastal waters contain a vast diversity of life that is increasingly threatened by degradation and depletion. With rapidly growing coastal populations and expanding commercial uses of the ocean, we need new strategies to conserve the oceans and coasts.
This practitioner's toolkit for conservation leasing and ownership was developed by The Nature Conservancy's Global Marine Team with substantial input from our partners. It is meant to help conservation organizations determine:
- What conservation leasing and ownership is.
- When leasing and ownership can help abate threats to ocean and coastal species, habitats, and ecosystems.
- How to plan and proceed with leasing and ownership projects.
Using the Toolkit
For new users, it is best to begin with Step 1: Getting Started. However, the left-hand navigation menu can be used at any time to find information on specific steps, countries, states, and resources. See the Help link on the upper right of each page for more tips.
Quick Overview
Short on time? You can quickly download the postcard (pdf, 6,660k) or fact sheets:
- Toolkit overview (download .pdf, 1,559k)
- Leasing and Ownership of Ocean and Coastal Resources (download .pdf, 264k)
- The Law & Policy of Conservation Leasing and Ownership (download .pdf, 673 k)
The Nature Conservancy’s Efforts
The Nature Conservancy has been taking tried-and-true upland conservation strategies (leasing and ownership) and applying them to lands and resources that lie within ocean and coastal waters. The Nature Conservancy has been researching issues and undertaking in-water projects related to conservation leasing and ownership in the marine environment since 2000. These activities have culminated in the body of knowledge contained within this toolkit. Read more about us.
See Also...
Other toolkits developed by The Nature Conservancy's
Global Marine Team
Contact Us
If you have questions or would like to submit comments or information, please contact us.
Submerged lands illustration: Justin Van Dyke. Tropical island over coral—Ihuru, Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean: © Caroline von Tuempling/Getty Images