tbc profile proposed big bend international park lobellonaturalresourcespolicy.org/docs/hands across...
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ProposedBigBendInternationalParkRickLoBelloricklobello@gmail.com915-474-1456https://greaterbigbend.wordpress.com/ UnitedStatesandMexicoTotalProposedSize:3,023,671acres/4,724squaremiles
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Size:(hectaresandsq/km)1. BigBendNationalPark,Texas801,163acres(324,219ha)2. MaderasdelCarmenProtectedArea,Coahuila520,000acres3. OcampoNaturalProtectedArea,CoahuilaArea826,000acres4. CañóndeSantaElenaProtectedArea,Chihuahua511,508acres5. MonumentoRíoBravodelNorteinMéxico6. BigBendRanchStatePark,Texas311,000-acre7. BlackGapWildlifeManagementArea,Texas54,000acres
Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:
NationalGovernment:• BigBendNationalPark,Texas.NationalParkService
LocalGovernment:• CityofElPaso,ElPasoCounty,Texas
NationalNGOs:• SierraClub• RotaryInternational
LocalNGOs:• GreaterBigBendCoalition
Intergovernmentalorganizations:• ElPasoZoo,Texas
Objectives:ThisgrassrootseffortiscallinguponthegovernmentsandtheUnitedStatesandMexicotoworktogetherinestablishingBigBendInternationalPark:Valuesandimportance:1.AninternationalparkwouldhelptocallattentiontotheimportanceofprotectingtheentireBigBendareaanditsfragileenvironmentfromdevelopmentprojectsincludingnewroadsandpipelines.Protectingthisfragiledesertmountainregionanditswildlifeandcultureisimportanttonotonlythequalityoflifeofpeoplewholivethere,butalsotoecotourismwhichisimportanttotheregion'seconomy.2.AninternationalparkwouldhelpthepeopleofbothcountriesbuildstrongerpartnershipsalongtheUSMexicoborderwhichmanyAmericanslivinginotherpartsofthecountrydonotvalueasimportanttosolvinginternationalproblems.TheseproblemsincludeimmigrationanddrugtraffickingissuesandchallengesfacedbyHomelandSecurity.3.Aninternationalparkwouldbeanexampleofthebestourgovernmentsandpeoplecanpursuethroughcooperationandjointworkhelpingtherestofthecountrywithitsperceptionofwhataborderisandwhatabordercanbe.
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4.Internationalparkdesignationwouldsendamessagetothepeopleofbothcountriesandtheworldthattheentireregionisanimportantconservationareaworthyofcareandsupportfromcitizensofbothcountries.Ifthefederalgovernmentsofbothcountrieswouldcometogetherandrecognizethevalueofdeclaringtheentireregionaninternationalpark,itwouldnotonlyhelpnotonlyhelpconservethearea,butalsohelpboosttheeconomyonbothsidesoftheborderthroughecotourism.Promotingtheeconomywouldhavetheaddedbenefitofhelpingwiththesocio-economicneedsofmanyimpoverishedpeoplelivinginandnearthearea.5.BigBendInternationalParkcouldbemanagedusingtheworld'sfirstinternationalparkatWatertonGlacierInternationalParkontheU.S.andCanadaborderisaperfectmodelforaU.S.-MexicoInternationalPark.Bordersecurityrequiresthatinternationaltravelershaveallrequireddocumentsastheycrossintoeithercountry.Bothcountriesretaintheirownsovereigntyandbothparksareadministeredseparately.6.ThenameoftheInternationalParkcouldbeBigBendInternationalPark,BigBend-RioBravoInternationalParkoranynamethatthetwocountriescouldagreeon.NationalParkstatuswouldnotberequiredoftheMexicoprotectedareasandtheircurrentmanagementplansornameswouldnothavetochange.7.ParkmanagerswouldhaveamandateofinternationalsupportatbothfederalgovernmentlevelsinWashington,DDandMexicoCitytoworkjointlyonmanyissues,suchassearchandrescue,publications,ranger-ledactivities,exoticweedmanagement,wildlifeissues,researchprojectsandnativeplantrestoration.8.Theestablishmentoftheinternationalparkwouldnotrequirenewinternationalbridgesandcrossingsorthatnewlandsbeacquired.9.Creatingagiantinternationalparkwouldhelpbothcountriesbetteraddresskeyissuessuchaswaterandairquality,controlofinvasivespecies,wildlifeprotectionandmanagementofwildlandfire.TheparkwouldbecomeapermanentmonumentandsymbolofpeacebetweentheU.S.andMexico,onethatwillcelebratethefriendshipbetweenthetwocountriesandbeameetinggroundwherethepeopleofbothcountriesandcitizensfromallpartsoftheworldcouldcometogethertolearnabouteachother'sculturewhilecomingtobetterunderstandthenaturalworldthattheyallshare.10.Thenextsteptoestablishthisnow80plusyearproposalforbothcountrieswouldbeforthePresidentsoftheUnitedStatesandMexicotojointlydeclaretheareaasanInternationalParkwiththesupportofthelandmanagementagenciesinvolved.Legislationmaynotberequiredsincethelandsthatcouldbeincludedalreadyhaveprotectedstatus.TheInternationaldesignationcouldbeasymbolicgesturebyPresidentialordersintheUSandMexico.Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:Natureconservation;Ecosystembasedmanagement;Watershedmanagement;Scientificresearch;Tourism;Firefighting;Searchandrescue;Anti-poachingactivity
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Stageintheprocess:Grassrootsadvocacyonly.OfficialProtectedAreaDesignation:NationalPark(US),StatePark(Texas),WildlifeManagementArea(Texas)ProtectedArea(Mexico)TheCatalyst:In1988theGovernorofCoahuila,MexicoinvitedstaffofBigBendNationalParktovisittheMaderasdelCarmens.Atthattimethe1935proposedBigBendInternationalParkforthemostparthaddisappearedfromtheconservationradarscreensofboththeUnitedStatesandMexico.OneofthemembersoftheBigBendNationalParkstaffwhovisitedtheMaderasdelCarmenwasRickLoBello,amemberofRotaryInternational.In1997,inspiredbyaUS/MexicodelegationofgovernmentofficialswhovisitedtheWaterton-GlacierInternationalParkandlearnedofhowRotaryInternationalwasakeyplayerinestablishingtheworld’sfirstInternationalPark,abi-districtcommitteeofRotariansfromNewMexico,WestTexasandfivestatesinNorthernMexicoformedaRotaryInternationalPeaceParkEducationalInitiative.ThisRotaryCommitteewasdedicatedtocompletingthe1935proposedBigBendInternationalPark.OnNovember7,1998aRotaryDistrict5520(NewMexicoandWestTexas)/4110(Chihuahua,Coahuila,Aguascalientes,ZacatecasandDurango)RotaryPeaceInternationalPeaceParkDedicationCeremonywasheldatChamizalNationalMemorialinElPaso.DignitariesinattendanceincludedRotaryInternationalPresidentJamesL.Lacy,SuperintendentofBigBendNationalParkJoseCisneros,Lic.EnriqueProvencioDurazno,PresidenteInstituteNaciionaldeEcologia,SEMARNAP,Dr.GlenCoulteroftheWaterton-GlacierInternationalPeaceParkAssociationandMayorofElPasoCarlosRamirez.
ThebestkeptconservationsecretintheUnitedStatesishowBigBendNationalParkwasnevermeanttobeanationalparkontheUSsideoftheborderonly.TheoriginalagreementsignedinElPaso,TexasonNovember24,1935calledforthecreationofaUS/MexicoInternationalPark.ThelongproposedBigBendInternationalParkwithMexicowasveryclosetotheheartofPresidentD.Rooseveltwhodiedbeforeitcouldbeestablished.In1944hesaid“IdonotbelievethatthisundertakingintheBigBendwillbecompleteuntiltheentireparkareainthisregiononbothsidesoftheRioGrandeformsonegreatinternationalpark.”History:ThecurrentinitiativewasenabledbyparkstaffatBigBendNationalParkandlaterbymembersofRotaryInternationallivinginNewMexico,WestTexasandthestatesofChihuahua,Coahuila,Zacatecas,DurangoandAguascalientesinMexico.LeadershipprovidedbytheGreaterBigBendCoalitionwiththeassistanceoftheElPasoSierraClubGroup,ForgottenFrontiersandtheElPasoZooiskeepingthedreamaliveintheUnitedStates.EffortsareunderwaytosolicitsupportinMexico.Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:ThegreatestbarriertothecurrenteffortisthelackofpublicinformationregardingcommunicationsbetweentheUSandMexicoregardingthepossibilityofcreatinganinternationalpark.Thebiggestchallengein2016iselevatingtheofficialinternationalstatusoftheprojectandgettingtheprojectbackonconservationradarscreensfortheDepartmentoftheInteriorintheUSandNational
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CommissionofNaturalProtectedAreasinMexico.
TheGovernanceandManagementStructures● Cooperativerelationship:AnInternationalParkAgreementsignedbetween
governmentofficialsintheUSandMexicoinElPaso,TexasonNovember24,1935.● Legalbasisforcooperation:OnOctober24,2011SecretaryoftheInteriorKen
SalazarandMexicanEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesSecretaryJuanRafaelElviraQuesadatodayannouncedaworkingplanthatidentifiesthenextstepsforthecontinuedcoordinationbetweenthetwocountriesintheprotectionandpreservationofthetransnationalBigBend/RioBravoregion–NorthAmerica’slargestandmostdiversedesertecosystem.
● Governancestructure:Noneatthistime.
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:Noneatthistime.
Results:Anextensivetimelineofachievementssincethecurrentgrassrootseffortbeganin1997canbefoundathttps://greaterbigbend.wordpress.com/international-park-timeline/LessonsLearned:Keylessonslearnedincludetheimportanceofnetworkingwithabroadbaseofstakeholdersanddevelopingrelationshipswithelectedandgovernmentofficials.ForMoreInformationhttp://www.greaterbigbend.org
Name Title Organization Email Phone
RickLoBello EducationCurator
ElPasoZoo [email protected]
915-474-1456
JasonAbrams Historian ForgottenFrontiers
828-349-3831
RogerSiglin NationalParkService(retired)
BigBendSierraClub
432-364-2399
LindaWoodward DistrictGovernor RotaryInternationalDistrict5520
DavidLarson Chief,ScienceandResourceManagement
BigBendNationalPark
432-477-1143