Natural land management

ExxonMobil environmental scientists pioneered a strategy for natural land management, which brings together technical, legal, and regulatory approaches to conserve or enhance ecological services while delivering lower management costs and higher property returns. Our strategy includes a site analysis of future ecological and commercial use. Results are used in the development of our restoration and redevelopment actions.

For example, we applied this approach in a recent divestment of our decommissioned research campus in Florham Park, New Jersey. The process revealed that the ecological services associated with 80 hectares of wetlands on the site had significant financial value. Our future use strategy, therefore, included conserving 60 percent of the property as open space and contributed to a 30-percent higher sale price. Surrounding communities are benefiting from portions of the open space, part of which will be converted into sports fields and part of which will remain conserved wetlands, essential for flood control and groundwater recharge.