Overview: TX-NM-CHIH Region
The Texas-New Mexico-Chihuahua (TX-NM-CHIH) region stretches approximately 500 miles (800 km) along the international boundary from the Coronado National Forest to Big Bend National Park and includes the following major sister cities: Columbus-Palomas, Las Cruces-El Paso-Ciudad Juárez, and Presidio-Ojinaga (map).
This region is a part of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem that primarily comprises of arid to semi-arid biotic communities and is home to the second largest metropolitan area along the U.S.-Mexico border known as the Paso del Norte region. The Paso del Norte region is defined by two countries, three states and three major cities, including one U.S. federally recognized tribe, with a population of more than two million residents, who share the same limited environmental resources.
Federal, state, and tribal partners from the U.S. and Mexico serve as the co-chairs of the TX-NM-CHIH Regional Coordinators. The Regional Coordinators support local Task Forces' efforts and coordinate activities at the regional and local levels. Regional Coordinators encourage open dialogue and public participation, leverage resources to achieve program goals, help ensure concrete measurable results, and recommend issues beyond regional scope to be addressed by the Policy Workgroups. The EPA El Paso Border Office staff, together with program partners, including local Task Forces, help coordinate the activities within the border region of Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. Through binational public meetings, these groups work together to ensure transparency and timely access to environmental information to the public.
The Task Forces help promote awareness and education on local environmental issues, and coordinate efforts with community residents, governmental agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations on both sides of the border.
Within the TX-NM-CHIH region, there are eight Task Forces:
- Air (Joint Advisory Committee (JAC))
- Water
- Land
- Emergency Response & Preparedness
- Environmental Health
- Environmental Education
- New Mexico - Chihuahua Rural
- Texas - Chihuahua "Junta de los Rio"
Additional Information: