In 2019, the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) and partners established the Respect Big Bend Coalition. The Coalition aims to inspire, engage and empower community stakeholders to conserve the unique resources and protect the iconic communities of the Greater Big Bend Region of Texas, while developing energy responsibly. Identified groups for this project include landowners, mineral owners, energy industry and service providers, community members, conservation organizations, and regulators.

BRI and partners also established the Tri-County Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) consisting of a select assemblage of 17 stakeholder representatives from the Greater Big Bend Region. The SAG members are assisting in this process by working together to identify priorities and shape a shared vision of how the Greater Big Bend Region will look moving forward. Stakeholders include landowners, mineral owners, energy industry and service providers, community members, and conservation partners. Together, the SAG identified and agreed upon the shared values of the Big Bend Region within the Tri-County area. We expand on these values in the links below.

The Respect Big Bend Coalition was launched by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, and is sponsored in part by the Permian Basin Area Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, and the Still Water Foundation. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation is a Texas foundation that seeks innovative, sustainable solutions for human and environmental problems. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation works as an engine of change in Texas, supporting high-impact projects at the nexus of environmental protection, social equity and economic vibrancy. Find out more about the project at RespectBigBend.org.