CRI will accomplish our mission by providing services and programs in three principal ways:

(1) Increasing and sharing the public and private resources available to the conservation community by:

• Raising new and increased sources of private funds for land acquisition projects and operating support for strategic distribution to the conservation community of New Jersey;
  
• Providing an alternative mechanism for the management and expenditure of private funds resulting from natural resource damage claims, supplemental environmental projects, penalty settlements and mitigation projects with federal, state and local regulatory agencies;
  
• Managing a series of geographic funds for donors interested in particular geographic areas of the State or for specific types of land preservation projects;
  
• Screening and evaluating existing and proposed land conservation project areas and land transactions in order to identify high-leverage opportunities for new or increased private philanthropic giving;
  
• Administering and overseeing sub-grants to private conservation organizations from funds provided by foundations, corporations and individuals;
  
• Playing a leadership role in maintaining and increasing the amount of public funding available for land preservation in New Jersey;
  
• Serving as a facilitator and bridge between and among regulatory agencies, the regulated community and private conservation organizations to design and implement innovative programs such as carbon sequestration projects and other types of mitigation and/or restoration projects; and
  
• Working with land trusts, developers and regulators to design and reach agreement on habitat conservation plans as a means of protecting large areas of critical habitats and natural areas as an integral component of appropriate development which utilizes state of the art measures to minimize ecological impacts.

(2) Expanding the technical capacity, skills and effectiveness of existing private and public conservation organizations by:

• Providing technical assistance to grantee private conservation organizations, and to the New Jersey land trust community at large, in the areas of: land acquisition strategies, techniques, and negotiations; structuring land acquisition transactions; stewardship and restoration of land and waters; and establishing partnerships with other private and public conservation organizations;
  
• Providing consulting services to governmental conservation agencies in the areas of: land acquisition strategies, techniques and negotiations; conservation planning and regional land use matters; and establishing partnerships with non-profit groups; and
  
• Serving as a facilitator to establish and advise partnerships involving state and/or local agencies and private conservation groups in the design and implementation of complex land acquisition projects.

(3) Increasing the involvement of private landowners in the preservation of open space and farmland by:

• Helping private landowners and their legal and financial advisors identify, evaluate and implement the best options and conservation partners available to insure the preservation and proper management of their lands; and
  
• Serving as a clearinghouse for landowners who wish to donate or sell land or conservation easements, and matching prospective donors with an appropriate public or private conservation organization to accept such donations or purchase such interests in land.