Eastern Black Rail Conservation Bank

Ironwood Resource Advisors and Conservation Equity Management Announce Historic Approval of First Eastern Black Rail Conservation Bank in U.S.

Brazoria County, Texas – May 28, 2025 —Ironwood Resource Advisors LLC and Conservation Equity Management (CEM) are proud to announce the establishment of the first-ever Eastern Black Rail Conservation Bank (EBRCB), approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The Eastern Black Rail—a small, elusive marsh bird—has suffered a population decline of more than 90% due to habitat loss and coastal flooding. Once widespread along the eastern United States, the species was listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2020. Its survival now depends on the protection and restoration of coastal marshes and inland wetlands.

Strategically located in Brazoria County, Texas, just 35 miles from downtown Houston and 15 miles from Galveston Island, CEM will restore and permanently conserve 500 acres of coastal prairie habitat vital to the species’ recovery. The bank will generate mitigation credits by reestablishing previously degraded habitat, offering developers and industry a streamlined, USFWS-approved compensatory mitigation solution for unavoidable impacts on Eastern Black Rail habitat across the Upper Texas Coast—including the Greater Houston area, Galveston, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Freeport, Baytown, and Port Lavaca.

This milestone was achieved through collaboration with a wide network of stakeholders, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Galveston Bay Foundation.

For more information on the Eastern Black Rail Conservation Bank click here. Ironwood is committed to helping you manage all of your environmental mitigation challenges. For more information, contact Troy Madrigal at 281-795-1469 or troy@ironwood-ra.com.

For the press release from Conservation Equity Management (CEM) and to learn more about this conservation effort click here.