IMPACTASSETS 50™
An Annual Showcase of Impact Investment Fund Managers
ImpactAssets 50
An Annual Showcase of Impact Investment Fund Managers
Conservation Resources
Partners LLC
Natural Resources and Conservation
Food Systems and Agriculture
Decarbonization and Carbon DrawdownFirm Overview
Conservation Resources was founded with the strategy of investing in real assets, primarily timber and farm lands. Built with a vision that environmental and financial value are not only complementary, but mutually accretive - Conservation Resources has been a leader in impact investing since it was founded in 2004. Over the past 20 years Conservation Resources has been recognizing trends related to environmental changes that shape economics. This has allowed us to frame our impact land management strategies to create more resilient ecosystems while also improving economic performance. Through its history and today, Conservation Resources is leading the way in protecting and restoring the environment while generating impact and financial returns for its investors.
Years of Operation: 10 years or more
% of Capital from Top 3 Investors: 25% – 49%
Conservation Resources’ investment thesis is to invest in high quality forests and farmlands, with financial and environmental benefits including conservation, biodiversity, soil health, clean water and climate resiliency, that can be monetized for our clients.
Conservation Resources' forest strategy is designed to target timberland properties with existing or potentially strong forestry and environmental fundamentals and, through investment in timber sector-associated investments, or “Integrated Investments”, create or enhance attributes of the strategies portfolio of timberland properties. We believe that Integrated Investment opportunities may provide the opportunity to improve the risk/adjusted return of the strategies core portfolio of timberland properties and may leverage or create additional environmental impact. As part of our traditional conservation-oriented strategy, Conservation Resources will continue to work cooperatively with Conservation Organizations to achieve its investment objectives. We will also use our exceptional regenerative practices experience in land management to improve the way timberland properties are managed in the face of climate change-related impacts.
Conservation Resources believes that our strategy will outperform similar peer strategies by exploiting its experience, expertise, and relationships to take advantage of changing market conditions, primarily related to dealing with climate change, while at the same time generating relatively significant environmental benefits. Additionally, prior to acquisition of an investment, the Advisor intends to work with relevant Conservation Organizations to identify and value certain conservation attributes of such investment. The Advisor will also focus on and manage for soil health and biodiversity of the Fund’s investments with the goal of improving timberland returns in the future. With the emphasis on soil health and biodiversity, the Advisor believes not only will it create a more resilient and productive forest ecosystem in the face of climate change, but also produce timber products that are more valuable than would otherwise be the case.
Investment Example
On a timber property in Florida, we have restored habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise by thinning existing forests, planting longleaf pine, and restoring prescribed fire to the ecosystem. This creates an open canopy with a rich wire-grass understory on the forest floor. By doing so, we can sell mitigation credits to developers who need to move gopher tortoises from their proposed developments. To date, we have accepted roughly 400 tortoises on our property, and we are currently permitting one of the largest mitigation banks in the state of Florida.
Leadership and Team
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Paul Young – Chief Executive Officer More Info
Paul is CEO and co-founded the group, in 2004. Paul is also a Member of the Board of Directors of Conservation Resources. Paul is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Forestland Owners, on the Executive Committee of the Keeping Forests initiative, and Advisory Committee of Regenified. |
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Stavros Koutsantonis – Chief Operating Officer More Info
Stavros is the Chief Operating Officer of Conservation Resources and serves as Managing Director of the firm’s agriculture investment business. He joined Conservation Resources in 2017 from Brookfield Asset Management, where he managed investments in global real asset sectors, focusing on agriculture. Prior to that, Stavros held senior investment roles focusing on agriculture and other real asset investments with Millennium Partners and Fidelity Investments. |
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Kent Gilges – Chief Conservation Officer More Info
Kent is the Chief Conservation Officer of Conservation Resources and leads the firm’s conservation and impact practice. Kent is a founder of Conservation Resources and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining the group, he worked for The Nature Conservancy in a variety of roles, ultimately serving as the Managing Director of Finance and Acquisitions for its Global Forest Partnership. |
Financial Performance
Impact Performance
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Percentage of Total Assets Under
Management that are Impact Investments: |
100%
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Our investment process is guided by intentionality, quantitative metrics, and the balance of financial risk and return. We carefully evaluate investments based on their alignment with sustainable land practices and their impact on areas like carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water conservation. We use a rigorous sustainability and impact assessment framework to ensure that our investments not only meet our sustainability criteria but also mitigate potential negative impacts. This involves assessing both internal and external risks and ensuring that our investments adhere to our regulatory frameworks.
In our selection process, we review each potential transaction for its specific commodity (i.e. farming, forestland) and non-commodity (i.e. impact, conservation) outcomes. Each investment in the Fund must meet both our commodity and non-commodity objectives.
Impact Tracking and Monitoring
Learn More
8 Center Street, Exeter, NH 03833, USA
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