Achievement

REACH trainee Kelly Gravuer worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to assess how target species fare in conservation banks, which have become an widespread tool for land managers. Gravuer specifically focused on recovery of listed vernal pool species via compiling data from monitoring reports and interviewing USFWS staff. Based on her findings, she recommended that the USFWS (1) amend the schedule of required bank monitoring to better align it with recovery criteria; (2) standardize sampling design across banks and years to facilitate abundance trend tracking; (3) expand linkages between conservation banks and regional conservation plans; and (4) facilitate communication between branches of the USFWS.

Gravuer remarked, "I obtained first-hand experience of the role of negotiation in implementing on-the-ground species conservation....It was encouraging to see that some bank managers went above and beyond minimum management requirements. I really enjoyed working with the USFWS."