June 29, 2026 | written by James Smith

Conservation Finance Network hosted its 21^st annual Conservation Finance Boot Camp in New Haven, CT the week of June 1^st.  The Boot Camp serves as an intensive training ground for conservation professionals to learn about financial strategies for protecting land, hear case studies of successful initiatives, and connect with their peers in a national setting.

In previous years, Croatan Institute staff Jaime Silverstein and Zara Aspenson attended. The Boot Camp was also preceded by the 15^th annual Conservation Finance Roundtable in Durham, NC, which my colleagues Liz Umlas, John Fenderson, Josh Humphreys, and Croatan Institute Executive Director Christi Electris attended.

I chose to attend this year to deepen my knowledge on conservation finance techniques, particularly those that are applicable to the small landowners I often work with through the Soil Wealth Areas program. Traditional USDA cost share programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) can often help cover some of the cost of on-farm infrastructure such as fences, wells, tree plantings, high tunnels, and other common needs, but many farmers are seeking capital to expand their businesses or protect their land. This need requires more flexible forms of capital – sometimes “blended” forms of capital depending on the complexity and scale of the project. I also arrived hoping to connect with partner organizations who share our vision of using finance as a tool to promote social equity and ecological resilience.

This work is sorely needed in the Southeast due to the combined effects of historic disinvestment, systemic racism, and the intensifying effects of climate change. We’re currently experiencing the most severe drought in recorded history across parts of the Southeast.

I arrived from North Carolina and was surprised that the weather wasn’t any cooler than down South. Serviceberries were ripening, blackberries were beginning to ripen, and much to my dismay, I witnessed the impacts of the southbound beech leaf disease on the local beech tree population alongside the Mill River while on a walk around East Rock Park. Southeast farmers and forest stewards beware!

At the Boot Camp, I was joined by 45 other attendees who came from across the country to speak about their work and learn about different conservation finance strategies and initiatives that could hopefully inform future conservation projects. The Boot Camp participants came from a variety of different types of organizations – land trusts, foundations, conservation nonprofits, corporations, CDFIs, advocacy coalitions, indigenous organizations, and federal and state agencies.  

The term “boot camp” initially felt like overkill to me, but the pace of learning and requirement for quick thinking made me reconsider shortly into the event. Not only were the days long, but the breadth and complexity of some of the topics discussed necessitated a willingness to admit that you don’t know everything and to try to absorb information quickly.

The Boot Camp was structured across the different types of capital that conservation finance professionals typically engage with, ranging from grants and cost share programs, ecosystem service markets, easements, tax programs, interim financing including bridge loans, program related investments, blended capital, debt, and various forms of equity. Participants were encouraged to view this range of capital as a toolkit that can be utilized depending on the goals of the project. I was simultaneously encouraged and overwhelmed by the information presented. Encouraged to note that successful, replicable solutions are emerging that blend ecosystem services, conservation easements, and public and private capital to protect land, but daunted to note the complexity and transaction cost of these projects.

A few reflections on the event:

• Indigenous land back projects were a major focus of the Boot Camp, showcasing examples of land back initiatives including the Yurok Tribe’s Blue Creek project on the Klamath River, returning over 47,000 acres of land to tribal stewardship in partnership with Western Rivers Conservancy. This project assembled $56 million in private capital, low interest loans, tax credits, public grants, philanthropy and carbon credit sales, demonstrating the complexity of some of these initiatives.
• The speakers were incredibly knowledgeable and presented on a range of topics that would be helpful to anyone in the conservation space.
• Finance, while overly complex at times, is an integral part of making lasting change and is essential due to the high rate of land loss and the climate crisis
• Many of the projects presented required a scale of tens of thousands of acres, which is typically beyond the range of individual land stewards that we work with at Croatan Institute.
  • One of my primary questions during and after the event was “How do we apply the techniques used on larger conservation projects such as easements, carbon credits, and blended capital to smaller, individual landowner engagements?” This is of particular importance in the South where heirs property issues are prevalent, and development is outpacing the rate of farm and forest land conservation.
• Ecosystem services such as carbon credits are an increasingly important component of making the finances work in conservation projects.
• Food systems organizations are often not at the table in pure conservationist crowds yet share many similar goals. “Working lands” can still generate agricultural or forestry income while providing water quality benefits, biodiversity, and other environmental services. It’s evident that Conservation Finance Network is working to bridge this gap, but more cross-collaboration could be done between the two fields.

In summary, I would encourage those who recognize the fact that finance is a necessary tool to increase the pace of conservation while benefiting communities and food systems more broadly. The Boot Camp serves as a great starting point for making national connections with other individuals and organizations who share a goal of working to promote a more resilient environment that is protected for generations to come.