Wildlands developed the Laguna Terrace East Conservation Bank on 200.01 acres of land located in southeastern Sacramento County, California, south of the Cosumnes River and immediately adjacent to Meiss Road. The Laguna Terrace East Conservation Bank is adjacent to the sold-out Laguna Terrace Wetland Preserve which provided compensation for impacts to vernal pools for several projects within the Sacramento County area.

The Bank is approved by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and contains 47.601 acres of delineated wetlands, including vernal pool habitat, and 152.409 acres of upland foraging habitat suitable for Swainson’s hawk foraging. The land is currently used for cattle grazing.

Wildlands operates the Bank to ensure that the vernal pool and Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat features are maintained in good condition such that it will continue to support the species that it is being established to protect in perpetuity. Specifically, the goal is to manage a vernal pool and upland landscape so that habitat conditions benefit the continued existence and recovery efforts for the federally listed as threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchii) and the state listed as threatened Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni), while also providing habitat for other locally important species. To ensure in perpetuity conservation of the Bank, a conservation easement has been recorded on the property and a non-wasting endowment account has been established and fully funded.

The annual grassland and irrigated pasture on the mitigation bank are considered suitable foraging cover types for Swainson’s hawks. The grasslands provide stable foraging conditions that more closely resemble the historic pre-agricultural landscape.