Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Habitat Restoration in the Sacramento Valley

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Westervelt Ecological Services (WES) is pleased to announce the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approval of two new conservation banks in Colusa County, California. The Sacramento River VELB Conservation Bank, approved in March 2025, and the Harmony Conservation Bank, approved in May 2025, both now have credits available for purchase. These two projects collectively offer 74 acres of riparian habitat along the main stem of the Sacramento River for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle (VELB), Desmocerus californicus dimorphus, a species listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the USFWS.

VELB are medium-sized beetles, a little less than an inch long, that have historically been found throughout California's Central Valley. The VELB are intimately associated with their host plants, elderberry, for their entire lifecycle from larvae to adult.

Restoration activities at both sites will restore VELB habitat with a shrub-dominated environment. WES has planted elderberry shrubs and associated native plants, including box elder, Fremont's cottonwood, valley oak, California wild grape, arroyo willow, and Coyote brush.

Both projects are protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement and funded by an endowment to support long-term management activities. WES has partnered with Ducks Unlimited to hold the conservation easement and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to hold the endowment fund.

These conservation banks represent a collaborative effort to balance development needs with environmental conservation, providing a model for future conservation banking projects. By securing the necessary approvals and establishing robust management frameworks, WES is poised to make a lasting impact on the conservation landscape in California.

For more information about the Sacramento River VELB Conservation Bank and Harmony Conservation Bank and their available credits, contact Amanda Dwyer at 925-783-9924 or email adwyer@westervelt.com.

About Westervelt Ecological Services: Westervelt Ecological Services, LLC is a leader in the field of conservation banking, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of wetlands and species habitats. A division of The Westervelt Company, an almost 140 land stewardship company based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Westervelt Ecological Services offers mitigation banking solutions for developers and businesses who need to mitigate impacts to wetlands or species across the country. To learn more visit www.wesmitigation.com.

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SOURCE Westervelt Ecological Services