Purchase of 46,000-acre Mexican ranch will protect threatened grasslands, world's largest prairie dog complex

JANOS , MEXICO - The Nature Conservancy and its Mexican conservation partner Pronatura Noreste has announced the purchase of a 46,000-acre cattle ranch in Mexico 's northern Janos Valley , one of North America 's last remaining desert grasslands and home to a variety of rare animals including the world's largest complex of black-tailed prairie dog colonies.

In the largest private conservation land transaction in Mexican history, the ranch -- named Rancho El Uno -- will now be managed by Pronatura Noreste and a joint management board that will include members from the Nature Conservancy, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, local government officials, and other members of the local community.

“The grasslands of the Janos Valley are critical to the livelihood and the culture of Mexico 's ranching community,” said Felipe Delgado, outgoing board president of Pronatura Noreste. “But these grasslands face serious threats from overgrazing and unsustainable agriculture practices. By working with local communities, Rancho El Uno will serve as an example of how cattle ranching and grassland conservation can -- and must -- go hand in hand.”

Rancho El Uno, the largest privately owned ranch in the Janos Valley , was purchased from the Escobar family, which decided to sell the property after using it as a cattle ranch for more than 30 years. It will continue to run as a working cattle ranch, but now will also be managed as a grazing cooperative for local ranching families.

Grass banks will be created on El Uno, where local ranchers can graze their cattle while allowing their own grasslands to rest, regrow, and avoid overgrazing.

“This is truly a win-win situation,” said Rosario Alvarez-Gutierrez, director of the Nature Conservancy's Mexico Program. “By protecting these grasslands, we not only provide critical habitat to a variety of endangered and threatened species, but we're also helping ensure that the traditional lifestyles of Mexico 's ranching community can continue for generations to come.”

The Janos grasslands, located in the Chihuahuan Desert in Northern Mexico, provide critical habitat for a more than 200 migratory bird species, 30 different types of reptiles, and more than 50 mammals, including the rare white-sided jackrabbit, kit fox, jaguarundi, pronghorn antelope, and even a small herd of free-ranging bison. Janos also is home to the world's largest complex of black-tailed prairie dog colonies, and black-footed ferrets, the most endangered mammal in North America , were recently successfully introduced in Janos.

The Janos grasslands have been identified by the World Wildlife Fund, the Mexican Commission for Biodiversity, and the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation as a high priority for conservation and protection. The area also is designated as an Important Bird Area by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

A variety of conservation strategies will be used on Rancho El Uno to protect its grasslands, including reseeding, prescribed burning, rotation of grazing areas, and the recolonization of prairie dogs.

Prairie dogs are vital to restoring the dwindling grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert . Scientists, in fact, refer to prairie dogs as the architects of North America 's grasslands. Prairie dogs gnaw through woody shrubs such as mesquite that would otherwise take over the grassland habitat. And, as burrowing animals, they excavate tons of hard-baked desert soils, increasing the ground's fertility and improving foraging for cattle.

Pronatura Noreste and the Nature Conservancy also are working with local schools and community organizations to develop educational programs about the importance of conserving the Janos grasslands.

“The Janos grasslands are an integral part of our community,” said Celso Jaquez, a rancher and former mayor of Janos. “The work being done on Rancho El Uno and with neighboring ranchers is vital to preserving these prairies and our way of life. We're able to have more prairie because of the prairie dog.”

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The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit organization that preserves plants, animals, and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its nearly one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia , and the Pacific. Visit them on the web at www.nature.org.

Pronatura Noreste is a Mexican non-government, non-profit organization whose mission is the conservation of flora, fauna, and priority ecosystems in Northeast Mexico by promoting the development of society in harmony with nature. One of its main targets for conservation is the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion. Pronatura Noreste is one of seven regional offices of Pronatura, one of the most effective and prestigious conservation organizations in Latin America . Visit their website at www.pronatura.org.mx.