El Carmen the First Wilderness Designation in Latin America

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

El Carmen The First Wilderness Designation in Latin America

BY PATRICIO ROBLES GIL

Wilderness conservation is a series of stories, as much about personal vision and commitment as it is about science, law, and policy. To the stories of Ian Player in South Africa; Bob Marshall, Sigurd Olson, Aldo Leopold, and Howard Zahniser in the United States; and other pioneers, we can now add that of Patricio Robles Gil in Mexico. At the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Alaska, October 2005, the multinational cement company CEMEX announced the designation of a 75,000-hectare (185,250-acres) wilderness on their corporate landholdings in northern Mexico, and the government of Mexico announced new wilderness legislation to address wilderness protection on these private lands and several other land ownership regimes. In this article, Patricio tells his personal story of this conservation accomplishment, and the people who worked with him to make it happen. —Vance Martin International IJW Editor

he process of experiencing wilderness, and then to establish a conservation movement and create an envi- advocating for its protection and sustainability, can ronmental culture, our society must understand the T create a collage of distinct, often varying episodes importance of wildness, and the threats that imperil wil- that forms a fascinating and unforgettable personal picture derness. Thus, a large portion of my time has been focused of one’s own life. Each element of the collage—from the on these two primary issues. wilderness, a meeting, or a conversation—is often so In some cases I have been involved in the field with ranch- different that they rest in my mind as unique encounters ers, campesinos, ethnic groups, scientists, and researchers. These with nature and people, the sum total of which produces experiences taught me a great deal, primarily that communi- within me a sense of dynamic peace. cation is essential in order to “sell nature to society.” This I’ll try to explain—in English!—this process, which for me realization caused me to coin the term “conservation market- has been a challenge, a passion, and a commitment. It has ing,” and for it to be the central organizing principle of my work. been an evolution of thought, As conservationists we also need to create successful, concept and action, changing practical, and replicable conservation models. I consider and growing with each person myself a promoter of these models and techniques, with a I’ve tried to convince about the focus on species management, biodiversity conservation, value of wild open spaces. and the protection of wild, open space without an indus- For 16 years I’ve been trial human footprint. This last concept is where my heart involved in the conservation lies, so when the president of The WILD Foundation, Vance of nature through Agrupacion Martin, suggested that Mexico could embrace wilderness, I Sierra Madre, the nongovern- saw the opportunity to build on this concept a more inti- mental organization (NGO) mate relationship between the modern Mexican people and that I founded in Mexico. its natural wild places, or tierras silvestres. This country gave me the opportunity to understand the Conservation Movement in Mexico challenges of conservation. I This process of helping Mexico to protect large areas of Article author Patricio Robles Gil. truly believe that if we want wild land has become one of the most interesting debates

36 International Journal of Wilderness AUGUST 2006 • VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2 in which I have been involved. To help you understand this, I’ll briefly sum- marize the conservation movement in Mexico. First of all, Mexico’s southern part is in the Neotropics region, and tropi- cal rain forest habitats are dominant. The northern area is Nearctic, with primarily arid habitats, except the pine-oak forest of the high mountains. The interaction of these different eco- systems results in enormous biodiversity, placing Mexico among the top-five megadiversity countries worldwide. This natural wealth pro- duced some of the most remarkable cultures on the planet—Mayas, Aztecs, and Olmecs—that used these re- sources to create great empires. Therefore, all over Mexico, wetlands and forests were heavily used, and the impact of the human footprint spread almost everywhere. Only the deep canyons and remote deserts of the northernmost system remained rea- sonably unaltered. Second, Mexico’s system of land tenure is a significant factor for the status of our protected natural areas. There is a saying that Mexican land has been given “several times” to its people. After the agrarian reform, a high percentage of the land was held under communal private property, or Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, Mexico, the location of the first designated wilderness in Latin America. Photo by Patricio Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra Madre. ejidos. This means that there is virtu- ally no public land, so the government cannot unilaterally set any aside pro- ture, or relationship, with nature, and with wild nature and my commitment tected areas. Integrated, complex our language has not even a word that to its conservation. The mountain efforts are required. This makes con- conveys the meaning of wilderness. range has been declared a Flora and servation of wilderness and Fauna Protected Area (FFPA), one of biodiversity a singular and interesting El Carmen the least strict categories of the Mexi- challenge, because the general public I could only conceive of protecting can protected areas system. Its has almost no access to wild open Mexican wilderness by first identify- management plan allows people and spaces. In all the other countries that ing a place that everyone would cattle to live inside the protected area, have wilderness legislation, the expe- consider wilderness: El Carmen—a and Mexican legislation allows envi- rience of wild nature by the public has sky island—is in northern Coahuila on ronmentally aggressive activities such been instrumental in creating the the border with Texas’s Big Bend Na- as mining inside the perimeter. movement and subsequent legislation. tional Park. For special reasons, this El Carmen is a keystone in a huge Mexico essentially lacks a popular cul- place is the cradle of my involvement complex of transboundary protected

International Journal of Wilderness AUGUST 2006 • VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2 37 El Jardin escarpment of Sierra del Carmen, a “sky island” in the Chihuahuan desert. Photo by Patricio Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra Madre.

areas that comprise one of the biggest In addition to these governmental maintained a healthy population and high-biodiversity megacorridors in models of land protection, a group of even expanded to its former territories North America. In the last year ranchers in the heart of Serranías del across the border into Big Bend Na- Agrupacion Sierra Madre has focused Burro in Mexico committed several tional Park, from which it had been its efforts on the promotion of El years ago to the private conservation previously exterminated. Carmen-Big Bend Conservation Corri- of its ranches. They formed CONECO Finally, one of the most important dor Initiative, a conservation initiative (for its acronym in Spanish)—a non- stakeholders of the region is CEMEX, that holds one of the most diverse ar- profit organization—which helped the third largest cement producer in rays of conservation models in the them to address severe environmental the world. This corporation presented world, ranging from government pro- threats to their lands. These 17 ranches a great opportunity to Agrupacion Si- tected areas to a private protected area encompass almost 500,000 acres erra Madre when they asked us to help managed by a corporation. If we only (202,429 ha) and comprise a conser- them strengthen their commitment to focus on the government’s protected vation success story in and of itself. For the natural world. In 1995 we pre- areas we can see that four different example, thanks to the effort of these sented to them the importance of El models coexist in this area. Maderas del ranchers the black bear in Mexico has Carmen. Today the company owns Carmen (520,000 acres; 210,526 ha) and Cañón de Santa Elena (693,000 acres; 280,566 ha) are both FFPAs managed by the Mexican central government’s National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP). Ocampo is a new FFPA of 680,000 acres (275,300 ha) that will be declared between them. On the U.S. side, Big Bend National Park (800,000 acres; 323,886 ha) has on its eastern flank the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (119,000 acres; 48,178 ha) and on the west, Big Bend Ranch State Park (300,000 acres; 121,457 ha), both managed by the Texas Parks and Wild- life Department. Together, all these reserves protect a surface of more than The Rio Grande (US)/El Bravo (MX) River cutting through a canyon on the Texas/Mexico border. Photo by Patricio Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra Madre. 3 million acres (1.2 million ha).

38 International Journal of Wilderness AUGUST 2006 • VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2 transboundary wilderness area of enormous significance for North America. We had the commitment of land— we now needed the government. We knew there was the opportunity for the Mexican government to embrace the wilderness concept because of the true passion of Ernesto Enkerlin, president of the CONANP, with whom I had a long dialogue about wilderness. He asked me to collaborate with Juan Bezaury, a CONANP advisor and di- rector of environmental policy of The Nature Conservancy-Mexico. Juan explained that if we wanted the initiative to move forward, it should be

Rock formations in Big Bend National Park, Texas. Photo by Patricio Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra through an existing scheme of private Madre. and social land system certification through which CONANP recognizes almost 195,000 acres (78,947 ha) in- wilderness. Years later, the biggest at- landowners’ voluntary efforts to pro- side and outside the FFPA (Maderas traction for tourists in Big Bend is its tect their lands. His idea was to raise del Carmen), and through conserva- wilderness qualities. the level of protection for wilderness tion partnerships manages another With this northern neighbor and by creating an official certification or 62,500 acres (25,303 ha). Its conser- the conditions of isolation and lack of designation. vation activities include the rewilding human presence, the northern portion Under Mexican law, private own- of this sky island through intensive of Sierra del Carmen seemed the per- ers accept certain limits of control over habitat restoration programs, the re- fect place to be designated as their land that can be imposed by the moval of all fences and cattle, and the wilderness. Hence, we worked with government or other actors (e.g., road reestablishment of big mammals such CEMEX’s field team and presented the building, mining, fishing in lakes and as the desert bighorn sheep—a flag- proposal to the CEO for approval. His rivers, water extraction, etc.). Under ship species that represents the true vision and commitment were tested in existing certification, CONANP pro- historic wilderness. The northern end this endeavor. But, finally, after con- tects the landowner against of this mountain range, bordered by sultations with staff and neighbors, the government imposition, except min- the Rio Grande River and Big Bend owners made a long-term commit- National Park, is remote and without ment to wilderness, and approved the human disturbance. Big Bend has launch of the initiative at The WILD struggled to be declared a wilderness Foundation’s 8th World Wilderness area since 1978, when the park staff Congress in Alaska (see IJW, Decem- (concerned by the increasing number ber 2005), becoming the first of visitors) proposed 79% of the park’s wilderness designation in Latin surface as a wilderness area. Some lo- America. In light of the political situa- cal residents opposed the initiative, tion between Mexico and the United fearing it would limit tourism oppor- States, this wilderness designation rep- tunities. A strong debate ensued, but resents an opportunity to strengthen the U.S. Congress didn’t pass the pro- relationships, and, for Big Bend Na- posal. However, since then, park tional Park, it supports their dream of Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), reintroduced to El Carmen area as part of the re-wilding process. Photo by Patricio administrators have been managing declaring a big portion of the park as Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra Madre. most of Big Bend’s area as a de facto a wilderness. If so, it would be a

International Journal of Wilderness AUGUST 2006 • VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2 39 have used as a spiritual, magic I’m optimistic for the future, one in which Mexicans ritual place. 2. Places with cultural biodiversity will enjoy, respect, and feel the awe of their landscape: where habitats, biotic wilderness areas. communities, and species of flora and fauna have been managed by communities under traditional ing and water extraction. The next step (2) the Wilderness Land certification practices with the understanding Juan envisioned was to have a new by the NGO coalition for those who of a component of conservation of certification, one that would be much don’t want any government interven- the native species and exotics that stronger and would be given by a coa- tion, but who want to fight to maintain have historical land uses for the lition of NGOs, both national and the highest ecological integrity; and (3) sustenance/nourishment of those international, such as Unidos para la both certifications, Wilderness Zone societies. Conservación, Pronatura, Conserva- and Wilderness Land, such as in the 3. Places dedicated to long-term sci- tion International, and The Nature case of CEMEX’s great commitment for entific research. Conservancy, among others, and sci- the El Carmen 4. Areas of almost-intact habitats and entific institutions such as the National One of the interesting parts of this biotic communities, where the Institute of Ecology of Mexico (INE) process is the different perceptions human footprint or industrial civi- and the Mexican Commission for the shared by the actors involved in the lization is not present, where Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity discussions. First, many of them con- human activities are developed (CONABIO). These would provide sider the core areas as de facto without leaving evidence of their both a scientific and ethical compo- wilderness without a special name to presence and that are large enough nent to the wilderness argument that highlight them. Others think that this to enable the reconciliation of hu- would fight even mining and water scenario could be easily implemented mans as a species, with nature. extraction. in the north of Mexico where there is Therefore, private owners would desert, and not so easily in the tropi- The steps taken in the promotion have three possibilities: (1) the certifi- cal forest communal lands of the of this wilderness initiative in Mexico cation of Wilderness Zones by the southeast, and this became a strong are parts of a collage. Each piece CONANP, which would give legal pro- argument of opposition. The fear was doesn’t make great sense by itself, but tection from certain government also expressed that this new certifi- when seen together they are much big- agencies and common use by people; cation would not include important ger than the sum of the single parts. areas of high biodiversity because Many things remain to be done, but they were too small, or because they we are on the right track. I’m optimis- contained existing human distur- tic for the future, one in which bance. As a result of the discussions, Mexicans will enjoy, respect, and feel an additional approach was proposed the awe of their wilderness areas. IJW to address cultural, tribal, and sacred PATRICIO ROBLES GIL is president of areas. Sharing these different con- Agrupacion Sierra Madre and Unidos para cerns enriched the debate and la Conservation; he is also the series enlarged the concept, out of which producer for the CEMEX books on nature emerged four different certifications including Transboundary Conservation: A within the framework of the New Vision for Protected Areas (R. A. CONANP: Mittermeier, C. F. Kormos, C. G. Mittermeier, P. Robles Gil, T. Sandwith, and Black bear (Ursus americana) are abundant in the El Carmen 1. Natural sacred places: areas with C. Besançon, CEMEX-Agrupacion Sierra area. Photo by Patricio Robles Gil, courtesy of Agrupacion Sierra Madre. importance for the conservation of Madre-Conservation International, 2005, biodiversity, which tribal groups published in Mexico.)

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