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The Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) bridges conservation and development through innovative conservation agreements developed in partnership with communities and others who own or rely on natural resources.
We work together with local resource users who agree to protect priority habitats and ecosystem services in exchange for a steady stream of structured compensation from conservationists or other investors. A negotiated agreement produces visible and measurable conservation outcomes that result from the actions of resource users, and fosters improved human well-being by directing compensation to investments identified by resource users as most beneficial to them.
CSP offsets the costs to communities of doing conservation, and works to ensure financial and social sustainability in its conservation agreements, providing the opportunity for these communities to make a living out of conserving the planet and make their lives better.
Why Conservation Agreements?
- Build stewardship – empower people to drive the solution
- Fair and transparent – terms designed with local communities
- Adaptable – terms tailored to specific situations and community needs
- Positive human impact – deliver concrete, measurable benefits for human well-being
- Concrete conservation results – outcomes defined and measured in the agreement
- Equitable – offset the opportunity cost of doing conservation
- Scalable – flexibility allows for replication