Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Mexican Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada have announced the next steps in a coordinated plan to protect and preserve the transnational Big Bend/Rio Bravo region.
In an Oct. 24 ceremony at Big Bend National Park, the two officials helped release 267,000 Rio Grande Silvery Minnows as part of an ongoing recovery project for the endangered species and outlined the next phase of the Cooperative Action for Conservation in the Big Bend/Rio Bravo Region.
“As neighbors and partners in conservation, the United States and Mexico share more than just a border,” Salazar said at the ceremony. “We share a commitment toward fulfilling a conservation vision President Roosevelt and President Camacho proposed over 60 years ago. With the support of Secretary Elvira and our counterparts in Mexico, today’s announcement marks a major step in turning this vision into a reality.”
Home to 446 species of birds, 3,600 species of insects, more than 1,500 plants, and 75 species of mammals, the Big Bend region of Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila provide a unique opportunity for scientists, natural resource managers, and park staff to collaborate in areas that will benefit the people, the landscapes, and the wildlife on both sides of the border.