Cooperative Agreement P22AC00112

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: P21AS00210THE SOUTHWEST BORDER RESOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO NPS UNITS, AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, TRIBES, AND LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES TO IMPROVE RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP, ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INTERPRETATION AND CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, WHICH WILL LEAD TO INCREASED APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SHARED NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ALONG OUR INTERNATIONAL BORDER WITH MEXICO.PURPOSE OF AWARD: THE AQUATIC CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION PROJECT WILL EXPAND AND MAINTAIN ASSURANCE POPULATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED SONOYTA PUPFISH AND SONOYTA MUDTURTLE, AND THE EXTIRPATED RIO SONOYTA LONGFIN DACE, AS RECOMMENDED BY A REGIONAL SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP.. LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF THESE AQUATIC SPECIES REQUIRES MAINTAINING "ASSURANCE" POPULATIONS OUTSIDE OF THEIR NATIVE HABITAT (I.E., EX SITU) TO HEDGE AGAINST POTENTIAL POPULATION OR HABITAT LOSSES IN THE WILD.SUMMARY OF PROJECT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES: THE ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM WILL MAINTAIN ITS POPULATION OF SONOYTA MUD TURTLES, RE-ESTABLISH AN EX SITU POPULATION OF SONOYTA PUPFISH, EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR ADDING AN EX SITU POPULATION OF SONOYTA LONGFIN DACE AND ESTABLISH AN EX SITU POPULATION OF QUITOBAQUITO SPRING SNAIL. ASDM WILL TRAIN 200 INTERPRETERS TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EFFORT TO SAVE SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS.THE INTERCULTURAL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF DESERTS AND OCEANS WILL MAINTAIN ITS POPULATIONS OF SONOYTA PUPFISH AND LONGFIN DACE AND INVESTIGATE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A POPULATION OF SONOYTA MUD TURTLES. CEDO WILL ALSO DESIGN AND INSTALL NEW INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE ABOUT THIS PROJECT.ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT WILL MAINTAIN ITS POPULATION OF SONOYTA PUPFISH, AND EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR ADDING AN EX SITU POPULATIONS OF SONOYTA LONGFIN DACE AND ESTABLISH AN EX SITU POPULATION OF QUITOBAQUITO SPRING SNAIL.CONSERVATION OUTCOMES:FOR SONOYTA PUPFISH:RE-ESTABLISH EX-SITU POPULATION AT ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM BY OCTOBER, 2022REPORT ON POPULATION STATUS AT ASDM, CEDO AND ORPI BY DECEMBER 2022.REPORT ON FEASIBILITY OF RE-ESTABLISHED NETWORK OF REFUGE SITES IN SONORA BY DECEMBER 2022.FOR SONOYTA LONGFIN DACE:FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR ESTABLISHING EX SITU POPULATIONS AT ASDM AND ORPI BY DECEMBER 2022.POPULATION STATUS REPORT FOR CEDO BY DECEMBER 2022.FOR SONOYTA MUD TURTLES:POPULATION STATUS REPORT FOR ASDM BY DECEMBER 2022, INCLUDING DOCUMENTATION OF CAPTIVE BREEDING TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS.FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR ESTABLISHING EX SITU POPULATIONS AT CEDO AND ORPI BY DECEMBER 2022.FOR QUITOBAQUITO SPRING SNAIL:ESTABLISH EX SITU POPULATIONS AT ASDM AND ORPI BY DECEMBER 2022.EDUCATION OUTCOMESVISITORS IN PUERTO PENASCO, SONORA, WILL LEARN ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP TO PROTECT THE REGION'S ENDANGERED RIPARIAN RESOURCES AND AQUATIC SPECIES. SIGNAGE WILL BE INSTALLED IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. MEMBERS AND SUBSCRIBERS WILL ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT VIA AN E-NEWS ARTICLE AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. VISITORS TO THE ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM WILL LEARN ABOUT THIS PROJECT VIA EXISTING EXHIBITS AND ENHANCED DOCENT TOURS, AS WELL AS WITH A NEWSLETTER ARTICLE AND SOCIAL MEDIA POST. VISITORS TO ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT VISITOR CENTER WILL LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT VIA EXISTING SIGNAGE AND REVISED BILINGUAL BROCHURE.BENEFICIARIES: LOCAL PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE WHO DEPEND ON PRECIOUS FRESH-WATER RESOURCES AND AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY IN THE RIO SONOYTA BASIN, INCLUDING RESIDENTS AND MIGRATORY SPECIES. THE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM RENEWED AND BROADENED COLLABORATIONS AMONG US, MEXICAN AND TOHONO O'ODHAM PARTNERS.