Workshop on Cross-Border Cooperation on Educational Travel and Conservation Research Ramada Inn, Del Rio Texas Friday 14 June 2009
4:00 P.M.: Welcome to La Linda ll: This is the second in a series of workshops on creating a strategic plan (Master Plan) for educational travel, service learning projects and scientific field work across the Maderas Del Carmen -Big Bend corridor. We welcome you on behalf of the principals of the Consortium of La Linda. Dr. Martinez of Museo Madera del Carmen and Bill Skeen of the Rio Grande Institute
Background
This workshop is soliciting input from interested parties to develop a Master Plan for the re-opening of the La Linda Bridge. This is the proposed Agenda for the Workshop on Cross-Border Cooperation on Educational Travel and Conservation Research via the La Linda Border Crossing. The La Linda Bridge can provide critical infrastructure to link the US and Mexican parks and protected areas when the US and Mexican governments are prepared and ready to proceed.
The Master Plan must be developed on the basis of input from public entities and private such as:
- State of Coahuila and Texas
- US and Mexico Federal Agencies
- State and Federal Legislative Bodies
- Local Jurisdictions
- Local Landowners and Residents
- Educators and Conversationalists
- Tourism Industry
- Interested Public
We will make that happen through workshops such as these, meetings and consultations, leading up to formalized arrangements as may be required.We intend to have four (4) additional workshops (two in Coahuila and two in Texas) and meetings as required. At the suggestion of the Bi-national Bridges and Border Crossings Working Group the Master Plan will be completed within the next 4 to 6 months.
4:10 P.M.-4:30 P.M. Recognition and Introductions 4:30 – 4:45 Profile of the Area, Brief History and Status of the Bridge: Power point presentation by Dr. Alfonso Martinez and Tyrus Fain
4:45 P.M.- 4:55 P.M. – Special Recognition
4:55 P.M.-5:00 P.M. – Short Break
5:00 P.M.- 6:00 P.–Participant Input on Elements of a Master Plan for Educational Travel-Bill Skeen, Moderator
Our challenge today will be to develop a structure that can do more than simply operate a bridge in conformity with the rules and regulations for an international crossing. As owners, COLINDA will be committed to developing criteria and procedures for the special purpose use of the bridge now contemplated, including pre-screening and oversight of users, collaboration with owner/managers of destination sites and liaison with transportation and public safety agencies. The workshop participants are asked to provide input on four matters:
1. Collaborators (15 minutes)
What is the La Linda education initiative to be? Is there a way to create a meaningful “umbrella” support organization with a defined relationship to COLINDA and a fiduciary interest in success for the project?
Background
- Protected areas, parks, preserves, ranches – public and private
- Academic institutions , including credit and non credit, high school and college
- Museums, professional associations, alumni
- Non governmental organizations, civic groups, clubs
- Foundations philanthropies
2. Focus: Developing themes for organized trips (20 minutes
What is to be the substantive focus of “educational” travel and research? That must precede the selection of sites to visit, itineraries etc. (a subject for future workshops). The suggested breakdown for you input is as follows:
Background
Educational tours: A basic “introductory” trip can cover the area’s landscape, fauna, flora and history; more specialized trips can focus on area’s geology, paleontology, weather, astronomy, archeology, indigenous people, wildlife, desert plants, old settlers, wars and revolutions mining, ranching, railroading, smuggling and more. Academic travel: Universities and secondary schools in Mexico and the US already bring groups of students to sites of interest, including wilderness areas in Big Bend and the Sierra del Carmen for field experience in desert ecology, wildlife, archeology, geology. Etc. The La Linda Master Plan will consult with organizers of those trips on the range of interest and pin-point additional sites on both sides of the border that could be assembled into trips. Field research: Provisions can be made for approved teams of researchers and resource managers with a need to move back and forth across the river to do so. Service learning: This involves a series of short term service learning courses that combine academic study in a classroom (or on-line) of a given issue with work on a community service project addressing that same issue. This is a well-established program supported by US and Mexican government programs that operates through schools and NGOs. In Big Bend AmeriCorps, RGI, TPWD, WWF and Presidio ISD have experience on river restoration, salt cedar control, water conservation.
3. Travel Providers – Qualifications (15 minutes) -
Who should be recognized as a provider of educational travel and allowed to seek permission to use the bridge? COLINDA will need to set standards, criteria, etc that are fair, consistent and in conformity of course with US and Mexican border crossing norms.
Background
- Institutions and Organizations: An orderly process will be needed to contact the schools, universities and organizations with interest in cross-border educational travel to this area. Any institution or organizations entering the program to provide that educational support will need to go through a process to assure that whoever they assign to do interpretive work meets criteria regarding expertise and personal qualities. The Master plan should including listings, letters of intent and perhaps Memorandums of Understanding (“MOU”)
- Guides, outfitters and hospitality providers: Can La Linda initiative usefully draw on the practices of US and Mexican resource and recreation management agencies to develop and put in place a ”certification process”.? Are existing tourism companies interested in creating “packages” of needed support services. Questions to answer in the Master Plan include who are they, where, is there a letter of intent
4. The Bridge Facility – physical lay-out (10 minutes)
There are privately owned buildings on the Mexican side that were once the inspection stations for the Mexican government. There are no equivalent buildings on the US side. Is this to be more than a physical crossing?
Background
What facilities should be at the bridge besides an inspection station and retractable barrier that meet federal standards?
Coahuila gateway
Texas gateway
6:00 P.M.-6:15 P.M.- Break (Drafting of summary document)
6:15 P.M.- 6:30 P.M.-Summary of Input for 1-4 plus additional suggestions from participants and recommended Next Steps
6:30 P.M.-7:00 P.M.-Remarks from Officials
7:00 P.M.-
