Stay connected to all of the world in your big backyard here in the Chihuahuan Desert. Subscribe to this blog for free. Above – Amon G. Carter Senior delivering Big Bend National Park deed to his friend President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the White House. Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection.
National Park, offering breathtaking views across the vast Chihuahuan Desert.
food and shelter for wildlife while showcasing the beauty and resilience of one of North America’s richest desert ecosystems.
by Rick LoBello
Every national park has a story, but few are as remarkable as the story of Big Bend National Park. Unlike many national parks that were created from existing federal lands, Big Bend exists because the people of Texas made an extraordinary commitment to conservation.
When Texas joined the United States, it retained ownership of its public lands. That meant there was no federal land available to establish a national park in the Big Bend region. If Texans wanted a national park, they would have to create it themselves.
For decades, citizens, conservationists, community leaders, and elected officials worked together to make what many called a “Texas dream” become reality. During the early 1940s, the State of Texas purchased more than 800,000 acres of privately owned land through an unprecedented public effort. Then, on June 12, 1944, a delegation of Texans formally presented the deed to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who accepted the land on behalf of the American people. That extraordinary act created Big Bend National Park.
That is why Big Bend is proudly known as Texas’ Gift to the Nation. It is more than one of America’s greatest national parks—it is a lasting gift from one generation of Texans to every generation that has followed.
Today, Big Bend National Park encompasses more than 800,000 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert, protecting spectacular mountains, deep canyons, the wild Rio Grande, rich cultural history, and one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. Yet like every priceless gift, it requires constant care.
nest on towering cliffs and can reach diving speeds of more than 200 miles per hour, making them the fastest animals on Earth.
Today, Big Bend faces growing challenges. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and intensifying drought conditions throughout the region. Invasive species threaten native plants and animals that have evolved over thousands of years in the desert environment. Development outside the park continues to fragment wildlife habitat and migration corridors that many species depend upon for survival.
Adding to these concerns are ongoing political divisions surrounding public lands and border policy. Current plans by the U.S. government to construct additional roads, barriers, and related infrastructure in and around portions of the Big Bend region have raised concerns among conservationists, scientists, park supporters, and local residents about potential impacts to wildlife movement, habitat connectivity, wilderness character, and the ecological integrity of one of America’s most important national parks.
The future of Big Bend cannot be taken for granted. The park is a sacred trust passed from one generation to the next. Protecting its extraordinary biological diversity will require cooperation among government agencies, scientists, conservation organizations, private landowners, and concerned citizens on both sides of the border.
Every American has a stake in the future of Big Bend National Park. Whether you live in Texas or thousands of miles away, your voice matters. Supporting efforts to protect the park’s wildlife, wilderness, and ecological connections is essential if future generations are to experience the same natural wonders that inspire visitors today.
The Chihuahuan Desert of Big Bend National Park is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. Scientists have documented more than 5,000 species of living organisms within the park, including a remarkable variety of plants and animals uniquely adapted to life in the desert. Among them are giant dagger yucca, lechuguilla, candelilla, whiptail scorpions, velvet mites, Couch’s spadefoot toads, Carmen Mountains white-tailed deer, yellow-nosed cotton rats, lyre snakes, reticulated geckos, Lucifer hummingbirds, and peregrine falcons.
and remarkable climbing ability make it one of the Chihuahuan Desert’s most fascinating nighttime residents.
Yet despite decades of study, hundreds—perhaps even thousands—of species remain undiscovered. Many fungi, microscopic organisms, insects, spiders, and other invertebrates have never been formally identified. Big Bend remains one of the great frontiers of biological discovery in the United States.
Adding to its ecological significance, many species found in the park are more characteristic of northern Mexico than the United States. The park’s location at the crossroads of several biological regions creates an extraordinary diversity of life that attracts visitors, researchers, photographers, and conservationists from around the world.
Some of Big Bend’s species may someday help solve problems in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Throughout history, scientists have discovered valuable compounds from wild plants that have led to important medicines, while genetic traits from wild species have strengthened cultivated crops. One example is the creosote bush, the most common shrub in the Chihuahuan Desert. Indigenous peoples have long recognized its medicinal properties, and researchers have identified numerous natural compounds within the plant, including nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), which has been studied for potential medical applications.
Our understanding of Big Bend’s biodiversity remains incomplete because taxonomists—scientists who identify and classify living organisms—have become increasingly rare. Even so, the known diversity is impressive. The park contains more than 1,200 species of plants, over 450 species of birds, more than 75 species of mammals, over 55 species of reptiles, more than 40 species of fish, and more than 10 species of amphibians, along with thousands of species of insects and other invertebrates.
serving as prey for hawks, owls, snakes, and other predators, it plays an important role in maintaining a healthy desert ecosystem.
One of the National Park Service’s greatest responsibilities is preserving biological diversity. Around the world, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and unsustainable development threaten countless species. Many disappear before they are even discovered, taking with them ecological, scientific, and medical values that can never be replaced.
Among the species of special concern in Big Bend are migratory animals. These include numerous birds and bats that spend only part of their annual life cycle within the park. Their survival depends upon healthy habitats that may be hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
One notable example is the Mexican long-nosed bat, a federally endangered species that relies heavily on blooming agaves for food. These bats migrate seasonally between the United States and Mexico. Habitat loss and the decline of native agaves throughout their range threaten their survival. Protecting the species requires international cooperation and habitat conservation on both sides of the border.
The National Park Service cannot protect biodiversity alone. Successful conservation depends on partnerships among government agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, private landowners, and the public. For decades, Big Bend National Park has worked with organizations such as Sul Ross State University, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and conservation partners in both the United States and Mexico to advance research, education, and natural resource management.
No park is an island. The wildlife of Big Bend depends heavily upon lands beyond the park’s boundaries. Mountain lions are an excellent example. Individual lions may roam across territories ranging from dozens to hundreds of square miles. Their long-term survival depends upon maintaining habitat connections that allow animals to disperse, find mates, and preserve healthy genetic diversity.
Perhaps no conservation success story better illustrates the importance of international cooperation than the return of the black bear. By the time Big Bend became a national park in 1944, black bears had disappeared from the Chisos Mountains because of predator control programs and hunting. Fortunately, healthy populations survived in Mexico’s Sierra del Carmen. Over time, bears naturally recolonized portions of their former range, and today black bears once again roam the mountains of Big Bend.
I have had the privilege of witnessing this story firsthand. During my years as a park ranger at Big Bend, I spent countless hours exploring the desert, mountains, and river corridors while sharing the park’s wonders with visitors from around the world. I have seen places where bears once disappeared and later returned. I have watched visitors experience the excitement of seeing wildlife that many thought would never again be part of the Big Bend landscape. Those experiences reinforced my belief that conservation works when we give nature the opportunity to recover.
As you explore Big Bend and experience its extraordinary biological diversity, consider how your visit might inspire a deeper commitment to conservation. Support organizations that promote conservation and environmental education. Volunteer with local and regional conservation groups. Learn about the wildlife and ecosystems in your own community. Practice responsible outdoor recreation. Advocate for the protection of wildlife habitat and migration corridors. Most importantly, share your appreciation of nature with others.
Big Bend National Park is more than a park. It is a living laboratory, a refuge for wildlife, a place of inspiration, and one of the last great strongholds of the Chihuahuan Desert.
It is also Texas’ Gift to the Nation. The generation that came before us sacrificed time, money, and political effort to purchase this land and give it to all Americans. Their vision created one of the world’s greatest protected landscapes.
Today that gift faces unprecedented challenges from climate change, invasive species, habitat fragmentation, development pressures, and policies that threaten the ecological integrity of the region. The future of Big Bend will not be determined by chance. It will be determined by whether our generation cares enough to protect the extraordinary legacy that earlier Texans entrusted to us.
Now is the time to speak up. Contact elected officials. Support conservation organizations. Share the story of Big Bend with others. Visit the park, learn about its wildlife, and become an advocate for its protection.
Future generations deserve the opportunity to experience the same wild landscapes, dark skies, black bears, mountain lions, and extraordinary biological diversity that inspired the Texans who made this remarkable gift possible more than eighty years ago.
Protect Big Bend.
Protect Texas’ Gift to the Nation.
Protect its wildlife. Protect its future.
CBP is currently accepting public comments on the proposal until July 13.
How to Provide Comments:
Call: (833) 412-2056
E-mail: BigBendComments@cbp.dhs.gov
Photos by Rick LoBello