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Rep. Henry Cuellar gives his remarks regarding a proposal for a $2 million earmark to address the invasive species of plants in the Rio Grande on Friday, May 13, 2022.

Dignitaries present during the press conference regarding a $2 million earmark on Friday gathered for a photo at Laredo City Hall.

In another step toward the creation of the Binational River Park, Rep. Henry Cuellar and the City of Laredo announced a $2 million earmark proposal for the Rio Grande International Study Center to put toward a restoration effort on the Rio Grande.

If passed, the funding would be going toward the removal of invasive plant species and reforestation of the river.

“The Rio Grande, one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the world, connects communities in Texas with their neighbors in Mexico,” Cuellar said. “It is home for thousands of species and plants, and it is the primary source of drinking water for South Texas residents. In other words, life in South Texas is dependent on the Rio Grande River System.”

According to RGISC Watershed Science Director Martin Castro, the invasive species removal would be the preliminary step in building the binational park, as well as providing the river a much-needed service in regard to restoration and conservation. After the removal, the next step would be to conduct hydro-mulching to prevent soil erosion and foster revegetation before reforesting with native species.

Invasive species include both Carrizo Cane and Salt Cedar, both of which are extremely water thirsty. Castro said that Carrizo Cane is a perennial grass that outgrows other native species, crowds native vegetation and conceals illegal activity.  As for Salt Cedar, the tree is an invasive species that also poses major threat to native species and removing both will be one of the biggest steps forward to the project.

With the project spanning 6.2 miles, Castro believes that the $2 million will be sufficient for the preliminary measures, but any reduction of funding would negatively impact the scope of the RGISC restoration effort. The project is expected to be completed within 12 to 18 months and would include:

Each item was associated with an estimated cost. For example, the removal of the invasive species would use $200,000 of the $2 million. The bulk of the funds will be used for the reforestation at $700,000 and the educational outreach at $425,000.

RGISC Executive Director Tricia Cortez said that when the RGISC was started 28 years ago, a binational park like the one proposed was a dream and highlighted the importance of protecting both Laredos' natural asset. She said that as the Rio Grande provides life to the area, communities on both sides of it have to work to restore the ecology.

“This earmark would allow us to undertake a significant restoration project to improve the health of the river, by tackling the proliferation of invasive species and reforesting with native plants and trees. This is critical to improving wildlife habitat and water security, while adding new recreational features to enhance our quality of life,” Cortez said. “The Binational River Park is a transformational project that fits within RGISC’s 28-year mission of protecting and preserving our region’s No. 1 asset, the Rio Grande.” With the $2 million proposal, Cuellar said that a footprint will be created to have more funds siphoned toward the binational park, including funds from the $2.4 billion that are from the former border wall fund. The money will also be used for improvements for U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and border security, such as additional personnel.

As $100 million would be difficult to gather from a singular source, he said that more sources of funding are available, including funds from the U.S. Department of Interior and added he could authorize the language for the funds.

"We are hoping we can take one step, another step and certainly work with both ambassadors Salazar and Moctezuma," Cuellar said. 

Representing Mayor Carmen Lilia Canturosas, Elia Guevara said that the City of Nuevo Laredo had already begun working on addressing the water waste infrastructure by improving of the waste collectors throughout the city. She said that addressing wastewater and issues with the invasive species are vital to the ultimate creation of the binational park. 

Christian Alejandro Ocampo reports on education for the Laredo Morning Times. He originally joined LMT as a photographer.