The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will host a workshop on May 20, 2025, at the Elko Convention Center to discuss the Conservation Credit System (CCS). The event is intended for CCS project proponents and aims to foster dialogue, provide feedback, and facilitate networking among participants.
The CCS is managed by the Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team. It operates on a system of "debits" and "credits" to offset impacts from human activities such as development or infrastructure projects. Debits represent habitat loss or degradation, while credits are awarded for measurable improvements and protections made to sage-grouse habitats through conservation efforts. These transactions are voluntary market exchanges that allow those impacting habitats to invest in long-term conservation.
The system seeks to produce tangible conservation outcomes by encouraging avoidance and minimization of impacts on key sage-grouse ecosystems. It also provides incentives for landowners—both public and private—to engage in restoration efforts on their land while offering regulatory certainty for developers.
This initiative targets private landowners with sage-grouse habitats, public land managers balancing conservation with land use, companies planning projects in areas intersecting with sagebrush habitat, mitigation bankers, and conservation organizations interested in Nevada's restoration economy.
The Sagebrush Ecosystem Program oversees this effort as part of its mission to protect and enhance sagebrush ecosystems. The program employs innovative tools like the CCS to achieve measurable conservation outcomes while balancing development needs.
For more details about the workshop or the State of Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Program, interested parties can visit https://sagebrusheco.nv.gov/ or contact Kathleen Steele at ksteele@sagebrusheco.nv.gov or call (775) 687-2000.