Securing the right conservation landscape is more than just finding ground with critters on it. The changing landscape of regulatory criteria, mineral and water rights, and climate change make selecting long-term viable properties more complicated than ever. Changing land uses makes it imperative to move quickly when sites become available. How then to fold the planning process into strategic land purchases? What are key tips to good negotiations? This talk by Westevelt Ecological Services Land Acquisition Director will touch on lessons learned from over a decade of conservation acquisitions for mitigation banking and land trusts.

Marshall Cook is the Land Acquisition Manager for Westervelt. In his position, Marshall assists both public and private clients with their mitigation obligations and also works to acquire new projects for Westervelt. Prior to joining Westervelt, Marshall served as Transaction Director for the California Rangeland Trust. Marshall earned an undergraduate degree in marketing from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, California. Prior to beginning his secondary education, Marshall served in the United States Army, 3rd Infantry Regiment, ‘The Old Guard,’ in Fort Meyer, Arlington, Virginia