wildlife habitat management - elk hills

Occidental is a member of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC). WHC is a nonprofit, non-lobbying 501(c) (3) organization with membership held by corporations, conservation organizations and individuals dedicated to protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat. WHC helps large landowners, particularly corporations, manage their unused land in an ecologically sensitive manner for the benefit of wildlife.

The WHC Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification Program recognizes corporate properties with meaningful wildlife habitat management programs, including environmental education programs. Projects on these lands are corporate-driven cooperative efforts between management, employees, community members, local conservation groups and local, state and federal agencies. Among the types of programs that qualify are those which include habitat protection, restoration, enhancement or creation, and those focused on management of individual species. WHC provides third-party credibility and an objective evaluation of projects. Each year, WHC certifies new sites as well as continuing accreditation of sites that have maintained WHC's standards.

More than five years ago, Occidental implemented a Conservation Management Agreement outlining a management plan for species recovery and established a 7,801 acre conservation area to be maintained in perpetuity for threatened and endangered species and their habitat at Occidental's Elk Hills field.

In 1999, the agreement was awarded a three-year certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council, and was re-certified in 2004.

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