In 2019, the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) and partners established the Respect Big Bend (RBB) coalition. The RBB coalition aims to inspire, engage and empower community stakeholders to conserve the unique resources and protect the iconic communities of the Greater Big Bend Region of Texas, while developing energy responsibly. Identified groups for this project include landowners, mineral owners, energy industry and service providers, community members, conservation organizations, and regulators.

Stakeholder engagement efforts are extremely varied and significant in scope. To engage differing stakeholders, BRI is hosting a community webinar series, elected officials’ luncheons, and Trans Pecos conservation partner brown bag lunches. BRI also co-hosted (with the Texas Agricultural Land Trust or TALT) a landowner workshop and delivers Respect Big Bend presentations to varied civic groups, organizations, and individuals.

Free and open to the public, the webinar series are designed to engage a broad constituency of Big Bend community members to better inform them on recent energy projections, potential impacts on communities and conservation values, and to develop creative strategies to conserve the unique resources and communities of the region.

BRI and partners also established the Tri-County Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) consisting of a select assemblage of 17 stakeholder representatives from the Greater Big Bend Region. The SAG members are assisting in this process by working together to identify priorities and shape a shared vision of how the Greater Big Bend Region will look moving forward. Stakeholders include landowners, mineral owners, energy industry and service providers, community members, and conservation partners. Together, the SAG identified and agreed upon the shared values of the Big Bend Region within the Tri-County area. These values include:

• Ranching Heritage & Private Property Rights

• Viewsheds & Vistas, Dark Skies, Remoteness & Quietness

• Sky Islands, Water Resources, & Grasslands

• Tourism & Hunting

• Community, Safety, & Quality of Life

• Culture, Music, and Arts

• Wildlife & Migratory Corridors

The Respect Big Bend Coalition was launched by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, and is sponsored in part by the Permian Basin Area Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, and the Still Water Foundation. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation is a Texas foundation that seeks innovative, sustainable solutions for human and environmental problems. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation works as an engine of change in Texas, supporting high-impact projects at the nexus of environmental protection, social equity and economic vibrancy. Find out more about the project at RespectBigBend.org.