ALPINE — Sul Ross State University’s Borderlands Research Institute (BRI), a 2007-established center dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the Chihuahuan Desert, received $8 million dollars in funding over the next two years from a recent legislative appropriation.
The funding, $4 million a year for the next two years, is a boon to BRI, one its leaders anticipate will help potentially double staff. The income will help cover the center’s expenses, which range from $3 to $5 million a year, according to BRI Founder and Director Louis Harveson. “It’s a huge boost, not just for the institute, but from a university standpoint,” he said.
“It’s going to help stabilize our operations at an institute that’s really been funded 90% on gifts and grants,” Harveson added. “It’s a game changer for us, and it allows us to expand our research, education and outreach activities here at the university.”
In addition to the $8 million for BRI, Sul Ross will receive an additional $5 million to grow degree programs in nursing, education, cybersecurity and more, a total of $13 million in support from the state, according to a press release from Sen. César Blanco’s office.
“We need to preserve the natural beauty and economic potential of the Trans-Pecos,” Blanco wrote in a press release. “The Borderlands Research Institute is a West Texas treasure, training the next generation of conservation leaders and working with ranchers, landowners, and communities to protect wildlife and habitat that are vital to our tourism and agricultural economies.”
Harveson said the university is thankful to Sen. Blanco and Rep. Eddie Morales for championing Sul Ross and BRI. He said BRI was targeted to receive a legislative appropriation by university President Dr. Carlos Hernandez, who came on board in 2022.
The budgeting process for the additional funds is ongoing, he said, but the initial $4 million should be available by September 2025. Harveson said the state investment goes beyond just higher education, affecting the whole region, where BRI works on various conservation projects on around 500-plus ranches a year.
“It’s obviously an investment in higher education, but it’s also an investment in natural resource conservation and really economic viability, because the wildlife and the natural resources that we have in this region are so unique,” Harveson said. “This region’s really turned into Texas’ playground. Texans come from all over to play, explore, learn and live, and really part of our job, beyond higher education, is to make sure that this is here for many generations from now.”
Part of BRI’s mission, which will be bolstered by new state funds, is to perform government-incentivized, on-the-ground conservation projects in collaboration with landowners.
“Federal agencies, state agencies, they have all sorts of cost share programs for landowners, and one of the challenges that they face is actually getting those dollars on the ground to fight brush or restore grasslands or restore riparian habitats,” Harveson said. “That’s really what our center does. They work with those state and federal agencies to help [achieve] that work on the ground.”
In addition to potentially doubling its staff, which is currently made up of around 15 to 17 individuals, per Harveson, adding faculty with expertise in wetland conservation, for example, state funds may also be used for student scholarships and to help build out BRI’s Ph.D. program.
Harveson attributes BRI’s success over the past few years to support from university leadership, a strong advisory board, an ability to recognize and act on stakeholder priorities and a compelling mission. “It’s a special place that we live and I think everybody knows it,” Harveson said. “The more people understand it, the better they’re going to conserve it. That’s been our mantra for some time.”
Around a year ago, Sul Ross announced the formation of a new water research center aimed at better understanding and conserving the region’s water resources. Harveson, who is acting as the informal interim director for the new water center, which will be independent but fall under BRI, said the national search is still underway for a full time director to help lead the formation and direction of the program. He said locating the right candidate has been somewhat challenging due to the diverse skillset required. Negotiations regarding funding support for the new water center are ongoing, he said, but gaining momentum.
To learn more about Borderlands Research Institute, visit bri.sulross.edu.