Columbia Basin Shrubsteppe Mitigation Bank

The Columbia Basin Shrubsteppe Mitigation Bank is a proposed multi-site, umbrella mitigation bank project in Grant County, Washington, designed to restore, enhance, and permanently protect one of the state’s most imperiled and diverse ecosystems.

Beezley Hills Mitigation Bank Site

The first site in the bank, the Beezley Hills Mitigation Bank (BHMB), is anticipated to begin generating mitigation credits in 2026. Located within a core shrubsteppe habitat area identified by the Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI), the Beezley Hills site includes high-quality shrubsteppe habitat and a range of shrubsteppe-dependent species, including pygmy rabbit, sage-grouse, golden eagle, Washington ground squirrel, sage thrasher, and sagebrush sparrow. The site includes a mosaic of habitat conditions, from early successional native grasslands to mature sagebrush communities, providing important ecological diversity and function.

Shrubsteppe Mitigation Banking

This project represents the first mitigation bank of its kind in Washington focused specifically on the shrubsteppe ecosystem. Unlike traditional, site-by-site mitigation approaches, the bank provides a landscape-scale, permanently protected solution that delivers greater ecological certainty and long-term value for shrubsteppe environment and the species that depend on it. All bank sites are protected under permanent conservation easements enforced by a third-party land steward and managed exclusively for ecological function in perpetuity.

A defining feature of the bank is its approach to long-term stewardship in the naturally fire-prone shrubsteppe environment. Shrubsteppe ecosystems are shaped by disturbance, particularly wildfire, and are highly vulnerable to invasive species following these events. Given this reality, each site will include a dedicated restoration endowment fund that provides the financial resources necessary to actively manage the site over time, including responding to wildfire and other disturbance events. This structure ensures that ecological function is maintained in perpetuity and provides a level of durability and accountability not typically achieved through traditional permittee-responsible mitigation actions.

The Columbia Basin Shrubsteppe Mitigation Bank will provide a reliable source of high-quality mitigation credits through the establishment multiple sites while supporting long-term habitat connectivity, species recovery, and resilience to disturbance across the Columbia Plateau region. At the same time, mitigation banking offers a streamlined mitigation pathway to support responsible economic growth in Grant County, including renewable energy, infrastructure, industrial, and residential development. The project is currently under regulatory review, with credit availability anticipated in late 2026.

For more information regarding this project, please contact us