Rusk County’s
Newest Bank
You can
find a new bank in Rusk County,
southwest of Tatum along County
Line Road. Named the Martin
Creek Mitigation Bank, it
sits along Martin Creek just
below the dam of Martin Creek
Lake. Funny thing about this
bank, there is no money –
only mitigation credits.
Confusing as it seems, Terry
McKenzie operates this bank to
provide businesses, communities,
state and federal agencies and
others access to economical,
time-saving and liability-free
mitigation.
Established
in January 2006, the Martin Creek
Mitigation Bank (MCMB) is a U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers approved,
privately owned and operated
wetland mitigation bank; and a
nature preserve and outdoor
education classroom. The
MCMB’s primary purpose is
wetland mitigation banking. So,
what is all this mitigation stuff
about? Mitigation requirements
result from public and private
activities that impact regulated
wetlands and other waters of the
United States as defined in The
Clean Water Act. Simply stated,
many construction and other
projects impact waters of the
United States and are required to
acquire an authorization from the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Included in the authorization
process is a requirement to
mitigate or “offset”
impacts with mitigation . . . and
this is where the MCMB provides
the service of providing
pre-approved mitigation credits
in a timely manner and with no
long-term liability. Examples of
construction and other projects
that typically use mitigation
credits include: road
construction, transmission lines,
oil and gas exploration, pipeline
installations, lignite mining,
shopping center parking lots and
housing subdivisions. Although
these are day-to-day activities,
behind what you see, there is a
tangled web of regulatory
requirements dealing with
wetlands and other waters of the
United States.
Terry
McKenzie’s role has been the
developer, manager and marketer
of the bank, and he will be happy
to visit with you about all
aspects of the bank. Not only is
the bank full of credits; it
serves multiple functions,
ranging from eco-tours, bird
watching and nature photography
of rare and native plants, to
providing a local outdoor
environmental education classroom
for children of all ages. This
bank likely has something for
you, so contact MCMB for
additional information.
12-16-2005
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