Abstract:
Payments for ecosystem services (PES) and conservation programs that compensate landowners
improve the resilience of working lands by creating markets for services such as clean air and water,
carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat. However, landowners can face difficulty accessing and navigating
these programs. Program administrators may lack the resources to strategically align participants for
broader conservation goals or build networks for successful market development. In this gap, intermediaries
have emerged. They connect landowners and conservation resource providers, improving program delivery
and environmental outcomes. To better understand the factors in program delivery and success, we examined
how intermediaries interact with both program providers and recipient landowners in the rural West.