Step 1: Getting Started

Local fishermen in the Pacific coast fishing town of Puerto López, Ecuador, located near Machalilla National Park. Photo: Mark Godfrey/TNC

What are leasing and ownership strategies?
Can they be undertaken to achieve your goals?
If so, how do you implement them?

This toolkit suggests you take a methodical approach to conservation leasing and ownership by answering fundamental questions (Step 1.1), dispelling common myths (Step 1.2), and defining important terms (Step 1.3).

After understanding the basics, you will be better prepared to make a decision whether or not to proceed. The toolkit's decision-making checklist (Step 2) can help guide you through gathering and assessing specific information about your goals, threats you face, strategies you might undertake, and relevant laws and ownership data.

Once you make a decision to proceed with a leasing or ownership project, you can then plan how to advance the effort using the acquisition checklist (Step 3).

Finally, you are ready to implement your project (Step 4). Implementing an in-water leasing and ownership project is similar to implementing a terrestrial project in many ways. You should consider several on-the-ground, or in-the-water, activities, including research, restoration, monitoring, enforcement, public access, and outreach.

You may, however, want to take immediate advantage of existing opportunities. In this case, helpful information can be found in the Country Summaries, U.S. State Summaries, and Resources.