Grassbanks
Welcome to the grassbank research website . I provide resources to people wanting to learn more about grassbanking, how to start a grassbank, and what types of research efforts exist.
Twin Creek Ranch Community Design Project
An increasing number of innovative ways to fund conservation are emerging. We will work with you to create a funding strategy. Community Ranch Ownership Design Project Phase I: An exploration of alternative land ownership strategies that provide multiple revenue streams while maintaining healthy landscapes and communities.
Rapid subdivision of rural lands is one of the biggest threats to western U.S. ecosystems and sustainable agriculture. Almost 9 million acres have been identified as threatened prime ranchland within the Rocky Mountain states. Many western ranches are adjacent to public lands such as national forests and rangelands. Their proximity and contribution to large tracts of connected landscapes make them important for maintaining ecosystem function (e.g., historic fire regime) and biodiversity (e.g., intact habitat). However, because of their proximity to public land, these lands are the most sought after for subdivision and the development of ranchettes . The land is worth far more financially as fragmented subdivided parcels than it is producing agricultural products, open space, and intact habitat. Individuals who wish to stay on the land as local agriculture producers are often faced with selling parcels for income. Moreover, people who wish to start land-based enterprises are limited by the high price of agricultural land, yet so many non-competing resources on traditional ranches are left unutilized. Our goal is to investigate different ways to restructure property rights that would provide alternative sources of revenue to the agricultural producer and land-based entrepreneurs without fragmenting the landscape. Tony and Andrea Malmberg, owners of Twin Creek Ranch in Wyoming, have struggled with this dilemma and offer their ranch as a model for solving economic challenges faced by ranches and land-based entrepreneurs throughout the West. By exploring different land ownership scenarios and business structures, our team will: (1) identify investment instruments that will enable people access to the long-term capital preservation opportunities that ranchlands offer; (2) develop a plan to comprehensively and sustainably utilize existing ranch resources by providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to live and work on a healthy, intact landscape; (3) discover ways to realign business structures that enable land-based entrepreneurs to share in costly infrastructure and lower production costs, thereby increasing the likelihood that land-based enterprises are vivacious contributors to local economies; and (3) design a cooperative land use plan that reflects the values of the people who live and work on the land. We will articulate the questions and provide options for ranchers and communities to consider as they seek to integrate landscape and community values with land ownership. If you have comments or questions, please contact us at Compatible Ventures.
News
New fund high on "green" buys Seattle buildings (2006-04-02)
Gripne attends PERC's Environentrepenuer Camp (2006-04-02)
Stephanie Gripne launches Greater Yellowstone Properties (2006-01-01)
Compatible Ventures Collaborates with Twin Creek Ranch (2005-11-01)
Compatible Ventures in the news with Uneasy Chair (2005-01-29)
Local Environmental Leader Honored With A Prestigious National Fellowship (2005-01-29)
Cattle Grassbank Stirs Controversy (2005-01-29)
National Grassbank Network is Launched (2005-01-29)