The Center for Natural Lands Management was founded in 1990 and incorporated as a nonprofit tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to protect sensitive biological resources through professional, science based stewardship of mitigation and conservation lands in perpetuity. The Center is not an advocacy organization, and so does not lobby for or against projects. The main office is located in Riverside County, with satellite offices located in Sacramento, Riverside, Yolo, San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda, Ventura, Kern, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa and Orange Counties.

The Center provides a unique service, facilitating the successful implementation of federal, state and local statutes designed to insure that our natural heritage is protected for future generations. The Center provides this service through:

• Being a knowledgeable resource and cooperator with land trusts, conservation organizations, public agencies, developers and other land managers that require expertise in the management of environmentally sensitive lands.
  
• Accepting title to mitigation lands and conservation easements or stewardship contracts. However, merely setting lands aside and preventing development is not sufficient to preserve and protect biological integrity. These lands require informed, science-based management to insure that valued resources persist.
  
• Providing professional ecological management for sensitive natural areas, on lands we hold in fee title as well as through contracting our services on lands held by others. We identify the critical processes and elements that need protection, implement adaptive management practices and apply the most effective tools needed to meet our protection goals.
  
• Providing planning, budgeting and investment strategies to insure the financial resources are in place to sustain necessary stewardship activities. Critical land management activities are never one time efforts, rather they need to be implemented whenever risks to elements of biodiversity arise. Thus sufficient financial resources need to be available in perpetuity.