The Earth Partners announces the new Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank

HOUSTON, Oct. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Earth Partners, in partnership with The Bayou Land Conservancy, is announcing the perpetual protection of more than 1,400 acres of streams, wetlands, and wildlife habitat through the creation of its Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank. Located in the East Fork of the San Jacinto River watershed, the Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank will improve the water quality in Lake Houston, a primary source of Houston's drinking water, and will reduce flooding risk for cities northeast of Houston by increasing the region's water storage capacity. The conservation easement holder, The Bayou Land Conservancy, is the Houston region's leading conservation easement holder, protecting over 14,000 acres of land in the surrounding area.

In constructing the Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank, The Earth Partners will restore and enhance 483 acres of impaired wetlands, establish 137 acres of new wetlands, re-establish a hydrologic connection to 101 acres of previously isolated wetlands, and improve the function of 5.4 miles of streams. This work will improve and protect rare wetland and plant communities that provide critical habitat to many wildlife species, including deer, fox, salamanders, frogs, and songbirds. Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank is adjacent to The Earth Partners's existing restoration project in the region, the Houston Conroe Mitigation Bank.

The Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank has been approved to sell forested and non-forested wetland credits. The bank's service area includes all or parts of Harris, Montgomery, Liberty, Walker, San Jacinto, and Waller Counties. The Earth Partners has also developed and permitted three permittee-responsible mitigation projects on this 3,000 acre site, which has an additional 400 acres available for similar opportunities.

David Tepper, CEO of The Earth Partners, noted, "I'm excited to add the Tarkington Bayou Mitigation Bank to The Earth Partners's portfolio of mitigation banks in the Houston area. I'd like to give a special thanks to Jason Hudson and Dwayne Johnson from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their responsiveness and leadership during the bank permitting process."

* The Earth Partners also has stream credits available from the Houston-Conroe Mitigation Bank, tidal and non-forested wetland credits available from the Gulf Coastal Plains Mitigation Bank, and anticipates having forested and non-forested credits available from the Spindletop Bayou Mitigation Bank in 2019.

Contact David Groves at [email protected] for help solving your mitigation needs.

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SOURCE The Earth Partners