Jessica Sargent-Michaud is Director of Conservation Economics for The Trust for Public Land (TPL).  She oversees TPL's economic benefits and fiscal impact analysis of land conservation. This research provides local governments with the information necessary to determine the true affect of land conservation on the region's economy and finances. Previously Jessica was an associate with Industrial Economics, Incorporated an economic and environmental consulting firm. She conducted analyses of the costs and benefits of proposed environmental and natural resources policies, and natural resource damage assessment for various federal and state government agencies.