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DevelopingCooperativeRelationshipsinBorderlandParksandReserves:SisterParksProjectSkyIslandsMexico&USA
[email protected](520)624-7080 http://www.skyislandalliance.org/ SouthwestUnitesStatesandNorthwesternMexico
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Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:
NationalGovernment:• NationalParkService(US),• ComisiónNacionaldeÁreasNaturalesProtegidas(MEX)
InternationalNGOs:• Nature• CultureInternational
NationalNGOs:• SonoranJointVenture
Objectives:Themajorgoalsofthisprojectaretoleverageexistingcamerastudiesinborderparkstohelpestablishconservationandmonitoringprioritiesforlargeandmedium-sizedmammals,aswellastorenewseverallong-existingsisterparkrelationships.Throughourpartnershipweaimtocreateastandardprotocolthatwillallowcomparisonsbetweensites,andprovidesupportforparksbysharingwildlifecamerasandotherresources.Inaddition,thisprojecthasprovidedabaselineofknowledgeofmammalsinallparksthatwillallowforcomparisonamongsites.Valuesandimportance:ThenationalparksandotherreservesalongtheUS-MexicoborderinSonora,BajaCalifornia,andthesouthwesternUnitedStatesshareandprotectarichbiologicaldiversity.However,wildlifehabitatalongbothsidesoftheborderisunderincreasingthreatsrelatedtoclimatechange,humanpopulationgrowth,andthecombinationofillegalborderandheightenedbordersecurityactivities.Thecommonconservationthreatsandgoalsofsisterparksonbothsidesoftheborderfacilitatesthecoordinationofmonitoringprojectstounderstandandaddresslossofbiodiversity.Thepurposeofthisprojectistodevelopastronginternationalpartnership,basedonwildlifecameras,tomonitorandprotectourgreatmammaldiversity.Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:WildlifeMonitoring,FireManagement,SpringsInventories,ProtectedAreaconservation.
Stageintheprocess:ongoingDateEstablished:2014OfficialProtectedAreaDesignationoftheprotectedareasinvolvedinthistransboundaryconservationinitiative:
• SaguaroNationalPark• CoronadoNationalMemorial• ChiricahuaNationalMonument• OrganPipeNationalMonument• CasaGrandeNationalMonument• TumacacoriNationalHistoricalPark
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• ReservaForestalNacionalyRefugiodeFaunaSilvestreAjosBavispe• ParqueNacionalConstituciónde1857• ParqueNacionalSierradeSanPedroMártir• ReservadelaBiósferaElPinacateyGranDesiertodeAltar• ReservadelaBiósferaSierraLaLaguna• ÁreadeProteccióndeFlorayFaunaSierradeÁlamosRíoCuchujaqui• ÁreaNaturalProtegidaBosqueLaPrimavera• NCIReservaMonteMojino
TheCatalyst:Inwildlifemonitoring,wildlifecamerasarearelativelynewtool.ParksandreservesinbothMexicoandtheUSusewildlifecamerastomonitorformediumandlargesizedanimals,however,everyparkhasdifferentprotocolsandmanagestheirdatadifferently.Bystandardizingmonitoringprotocolsweareabletoanalyzetrendsandmovementofmammalsataregionalscale.History:SkyIslandAlliancehasbeenworkingontransboundarywildlifemonitoringfor10years.SharingprojectswithSaguaroNationalParkandSonoranJointVenturewerealizedthatwildlifemonitoringissomethingparksandreservesdoconsistentlyinbothsidesoftheborder.Wecametogethertotalkaboutawaythatdatafromdifferentsitescouldbegatheredandanalyzedinuniformwaytoachieveconservationpriorities.
Theobstaclesthatwehavecomeacrossaremostlyrelatedtobordercrossing.ItisdifficultforaMexicanindividualtoacquireabordercrossingcardtovisittheUS,evenifit’sforacoupleofdays,itisexpensiveandalongprocess.ForUScitizens,theyhavetodealwithspecialrequirementsforvisitingMexicoduetothefactthattheyareFederalemployeesandneedaspecialpassportandhighthreatsecuritytrainingbeforetheydoso.Weneverseemtobeabletogatherallofourparticipants,wealwayshavepeoplewhocan’tmakeitacrossthebordergoingeitherway.TheGovernanceandManagementStructures● Cooperativerelationship:Thereisanon-bindingagreementbetweenthe
participatingparksandreserves
● Legalbasisforcooperation:ThereisanMOUagreementbetweenparksthatarecurrentlysharingtheirmonitoringdata.
● Governancestructure:individualsrepresentingtheirparks
● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:Standardizewildlifemonitoring
protocolsthatinvolvewildlifecamerasinordertobeabletoanalyzetrendsandmovementataregionalscale.
Results:Theprojectisstillinitsearlystages.Wehaveachievedourgoalofdevelopingrelationshipswithinourparticipatingparks.Therehasbeendatasharingbuthasyettobe
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analyzed.WehavealsobeenabletoshareresourceswiththeMexicanparks,suchaswildlifecameras,batteriesandcomputerstosupportfurthermonitoringwork.LessonsLearned:Throughthisprojectwehavelearnedthatworkingwithfederalagenciesacrossbordersisaslowprocess.Rulesandregulationsareverydifferentoneithersideoftheborderandwehavetofindawaytoworkwiththesystemtoachieveourgoal.Relationshipsmustbeformedbetweenthepeopleinvolvedinorderforasuccessfuloutcome.Wehavealsofoundthatitisessentialtohaveatleastonepersonfromeachcountryworkingonmanagingtheinitiativeformaximumefficiency.CONANPinMexicohasbeenhavingmassivebudgetandpersonnelcutsoverthelastyearduetochangesinpoliticalpowers.Webelievethatnowmorethaneveritisimportanttocarryouttransboundaryprojectsthatsupporttheoneswhoneeditthemost,toprotectthelandandresourcesweshare.ForMoreInformation
Name Title Organization Email Phone
DonSwan WildlifeBiologist SaguaroNationalPark
[email protected] (520)733-5177
LouiseMisztal ConservationDirector
SkyIslandAlliance [email protected] (520)624-7080
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