Abstract

Spatial Science for Applying the Mitigation Hierarchy
Track: Conservation
Authors: Marisa Guarinello

The mitigation hierarchy of “avoid, minimize, mitigate” is widely used for balancing development & conservation. The Nature Conservancy in Arizona developed an innovative methodology to assess relative mitigation costs & identify areas for off-site mitigation. Spatial analyses of land use data, linear fragmentation, & landscape scale values created understandable & practical results. Our methodology improves application of the mitigation hierarchy & is adaptable to other conservation goals.