Price is our new Conservation Delivery Specialist, and he will officially begin work August 1. He holds a B.S. in Biology and Natural Resource Management and an M.S. in Range and Wildlife Management from Sul Ross State University. Price comes to us from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department where most recently he was the Habitat Conservation Specialist for 19 state park units in the Trans-Pecos region. His varied background includes projects on important game and non-game species including mountain lion, black bear, peregrine falcon, and Mexican spotted owl among others. He has participated in numerous habitat management initiatives, including stream restoration projects in Big Bend Ranch State Park with the RGJV. He will be working directly with Jeff Bennett on grassland habitat enhancement and restoration as well as instream and riparian restoration projects, primarily on private lands. The RGJV is grateful to Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Dixon Water Foundation for supporting this position, and to the Borderlands Research Institute for their partnership in securing project funding.

On June 3, 2023, Jesús Franco, of the RGJV and American Bird Conservancy presented, on behalf of Partners In Flight (PIF), the 2022 PIF Public Awareness Award to the Museo de las Aves de México (MUSAVE) in the City of Saltillo. The PIF Award category for Public Awareness honors an individual or group that contributes significantly to increasing the public’s awareness and appreciation for birds, their habitats, or the need for conservation.

• The project Conservation of Critical Grasslands in Durango II from Pronatura Noreste, A.C. will benefit 12 grassland bird species, particularly Baird’s Sparrow, a species that is in danger of extinction and has an action plan for the reestablishment of its populations at a continental level. This species spends the winter in the Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) Cuchillas de la Zarca and Malpais. In this second phase of the project, alliances between local partners will be strengthened to continue sustainable management of grasslands, thus ensuring permanence of habitat for migratory birds and ranching, which is one of the main productive activities of the State of Durango.

• The project Recovery of Grassland Birds in Two GPCAs II from Organización Vida Silvestre, A.C. will focus on the conservation of two Grassland Priority Conservation Areas (GPCAs) that are home to populations of 29 priority species of high regional or continental conservation interest. They will work with a rancher network to (1) protect habitat long-term through Private Conservation Agreements on 9,667 hectares; and (2) improve grassland ecosystems through the implementation of a Regenerative Grassland Management Strategy.

• The project Comprehensive Management of Grassland Corridors in Valles Centrales from Pronatura Noreste, A.C. will benefit Long-billed Curlew, Mountain Plover, Sprague’s Pipit, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Thick-billed Longspur, Lark Bunting, Baird’s Sparrow, Swainson’s Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Loggerhead Shrike. The threats that affect priority grassland areas vary greatly in their nature, dimension, and scope. Therefore, to increase the resilience of the Valles Centrales (VACE) region and reduce its vulnerability to these threats, Pronatura Noreste and partners will adopt a conservation approach based on comprehensive management of the watershed to seek a balance between economic activities, society, and the landscape. Partners will protect 27,428 acres in key grassland corridors with legal mechanisms to prevent agriculture expansion into grasslands. Pronatura Noreste will also implement management activities impacting 5,250 acres and will reduce desertification on 12,555 acres by implementing soil restoration efforts. The project also includes monitoring, research, and training components.

• The project Reduction of Threats of Priority Neotropical Migratory Birds, Altiplano Potosino III from Organización Vida Silvestre, A.C. will benefit Mountain Plover, Long-Billed Curlew. Sprague’s Pipit, Ferruginous Hawk, Burrowing owl, Horned Lark, Savannah Sparrow, Lark Bunting, and Loggerhead Shrike in the Grassland Priority Conservation Area (GPCA) “El Tokio”, San Luis Potosí, which is critical grassland bird wintering habitat. As vegetative cover has declined by more than 90% over the last 30 years, the project focuses on: (1) improving the habitat in 15,008 hectares through regenerative grassland, soil and water conservation practices, as well as training and community projects; (2) protecting and managing habitat in 15,185 hectares through a mixture of legal tools such as Private Conservation Contracts for 15 years, Conservation and Management Units for 20 years (registered with the National Agrarian Registry); and (3) a research program to monitor grassland species through automated radio-telemetry and to evaluate the ecology of grassland birds throughout their wintering range.