BORDERLANDS BULLETIN

Conserving the natural resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands

through research, education, and outreach.

New Conservation Initiative to Benefit West Texas Landowners

The riparian zone along Alamito Creek on the Dixon Water Foundation Alamito Creek Preserve stands out with its bright green gallery of cottonwood trees.

Three nonprofit conservation-focused organizations located in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas are partnering on a watershed enhancement project with an emphasis on landowner participation. The Borderlands Research Institute, Rio Grande Joint Venture, and Dixon Water Foundation are teaming up to roll out the Alamito Creek Conservation Initiative.

This new initiative will provide the capacity to partner with landowners to implement restoration and enhancement projects within a portion of Alamito Creek in Presidio County, as well as associated tributaries and uplands. The project will utilize outreach and education efforts to broaden the impact throughout the Trans-Pecos region.

“The Alamito Creek Conservation Initiative is an excellent example of how conservation partners can work together with local land stewards to further shared conservation goals, enhance rangeland sustainability, and create vital wildlife habitat,” says Billy Tarrant, Associate Director of Stewardship Services at Borderlands Research Institute. “We’re looking forward to working with landowners to enhance habitat in the critical Alamito Creek watershed.”

Through funding provided by the Dixon Water Foundation and Horizon Foundation, the Alamito Creek Conservation Initiative will utilize existing cost share programs to carry out voluntary incentive-based conservation projects. The goal is to implement enhancement techniques in a portion of the creek that still has some functionality and then to expand to other tributaries and upland sites.

The Borderlands Research Institute will manage administration and coordination responsibilities and will develop a strategic restoration and monitoring program. The Rio Grande Joint Venture will focus on implementation and monitoring of conservation projects.

APPLY HERE

Borderlands Buzz: Tarrant, Crosby & Janis

In our latest podcast, we discuss cost share programs available for West Texas landowners who are interested in conservation and improving wildlife habitat on their property. BRI’s Billy Tarrant, Jason Crosby, and Mike Janis share information on resources available to landowners.

LISTEN

Multiagency Effort to Track Transboundary Movements of Black Bears and Mountain Lions in Southwest Texas

A black bear mother and her cubs as seen on a BRI game camera in Big Bend National Park.

Borderlands Research Institute is partnering with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at A&M Kingsville and state and federal agencies on a five-year project to study the transboundary movements of black bears and mountain lions along the U.S.-Mexico border in southwest Texas.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided funding for the project to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through an Inter-agency Agreement, and USFWS is partnering with regional science experts to implement the research.

The project has four main objectives. The first is to produce a peer-reviewed publication of literature review on the topic of barrier system effects on large mammals. The second is to provide types and amounts of mitigation efforts for government agencies to consider. The third is to promote the recovery of black bears and mountain lions by enacting approved mitigation efforts. Lastly, the researchers will provide a final report to USFWS about the project.

With a focus in South Texas, Borderlands Research Institute will lead the study on black bear movements and Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute will lead the study on mountain lion movements.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists will help the project by connecting interested landowners to the project and providing scat and hair samples of mountain lion and bear, along with other data. The TPWD Nongame and Rare Species Program is also involved in the project.

Borderlands Research Institute Students Awarded $122,750 in Scholarships

Seventeen students at the Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University have been selected to receive $122,750 in scholarships from eleven different sources, including nine scholarships awarded through a special fundraising effort celebrating BRI’s 15^th anniversary. The Permian Basin Area Foundation donated a $15,000 challenge grant to fuel that fundraising effort.

“We’re grateful the Permian Basin Area Foundation is supporting the next generation of conservation practitioners and leaders with this challenge grant which was matched with other private donations,” said Dr. Louis A. Harveson, who is the Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Endowed Director of BRI. “Our students are working hard to finish up their degrees, and many take out loans as they work on their classwork and thesis projects. These scholarships are an investment in the future, and we are grateful for the support of these fine organizations and donors.”

Read more about scholarship sources and scholarship winners.

Water in the Desert Conference Scheduled at Sul Ross State University

Registration is now open for Water in the Desert, a first-of-its-kind conference about water in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas taking place at Sul Ross State University on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

The conference brings together experts, landowners, community members, scientists, and elected officials to discuss the future of water in West Texas. Everyone is welcome.

"This conference will help attendees better understand and appreciate the critically important water resources of the area and the complex water challenges facing our region. We look forward to learning from a diverse and talented group of individuals who will inform our program," said Director of the Rio Grande Research Center and Geology Professor Kevin Urbanczyk.

David Yoskowitz, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will provide the lunchtime keynote address. Other panel discussions feature experts on a variety of topics. Dr. Brian McCall, Chancellor of the Texas State University System, will deliver closing remarks.

For full agenda, speaker details, and online registration, visit the BRI website here.

Publication Spotlight: Mountain lion predation

Our researchers recently published an article about mountain lion predatory behavior in the scientific journal Mammal Research. To access the article, click here or contact us for a PDF copy.

Veals Dutt, A.M., Dennison, C.C., Harveson, P.M. et al. Mountain lion predation in a multi-prey system on private lands in Texas. Mamm Res 68, 481–493 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-023-00699-x

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Borderlands Research Institute | 432.837.8225 | bri@sulross.edu | http://bri.sulross.edu

P.O. Box C-21, SRSU, Alpine, Texas 79832

STAY CONNECTED

Borderlands Buz﻿z: Tarrant, Crosby & Janis

Multiagency Effort to Track Transboundary Movements of Black Bears and Mountain Lions in Southwest Texas

Borderlands Research Institute Students Awarded $122,750 in Scholarships

Water in the Desert Conference Scheduled at Sul Ross State University

Publication Spotlight: Mountain lion predation

Borderlands Buzz: Tarrant, Crosby & Janis