By: Jessica Robertson
The Commission for Environmental
Cooperation just released the result of two decades of environmental
cooperation in North America – the long-awaited Big Bend-Río
Bravo Conservation Assessment. This binational collaboration highlights 29
specific areas in the Mexican-American borderland, all of which are home to a
beautifully diverse ecosystem. The arid and semi-arid habitats of the region
support some endangered plants and animals and are vital to the migratory paths
of many birds and animals. The conservation plan is designed to protect these
species and the grassland, mountainous, aquatic, and riparian habitats in which
they live. The conservation efforts even include parts of the Rio Grande.
The
communities in the conservation zone are being encouraged to increase their
sustainability and environmental quality, and also to raise up local leaders
and educators who will promote the project on both sides of the border. The
conservation assessment holds promise for the better management of natural
resources for both Mexican and American communities, and should stand as an
example for other international conservation efforts.
This effort
marks a special time for Big Bend National Park; from its establishment in
1944, hopes were that the park’s existence would one day culminate in the
unification of the entire region for conservation, regardless of national
borders.
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