Habitat Revenue Sharing
   

Through the process of revenue sharing the airport can set aside a portion of the annual operating budget for habitat protection and procurement.

    In the words of John Chalker "Airports are the only government infrastructure that pays for itself" as our friend John pointed out airports not only pay for themselves but they generate large profits. Our idea is that a small portion of these profits can be allocated for beneficial uses in the San Diego area like habitat protection. There are rules that specify where airport funding can be used which is why you will never see airport money going into the general fund or being used for redevelopment of other government infrastructures. Habitat mediation and restoration however is included in the cost of the airport construction. Our idea is to change the way it has been handled in the past. Historically when you remove a certain amount of habitat you need to replace the habitat with equal or greater value habitat somewhere else. This is always a one time only exchange. Our idea is to make it an ongoing exchange.

For example: The new airport will take up approximately 3,000 acres at an estimated environmental exchange cost of $300,000 per acre the remediation would cost 900 million. If the new airport is making 100 million per month in gross income and they dedicate 5% of there budget to habitat then it would only take 15 years to dedicate an equal amount to habitat as the initial exchange. This does not take into effect inflation, expansion of the airport or increases in profits over time. As the airport prospers and makes larger revenues the funding toward habitat will increase. The main point is that within 50 years the airport would generate some $3+ Billion towards habitat restoration.
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