Houston, TX – Houston Safari Club (HSC) has provided a grant to support the El Carmen Project's restoration of sustainable populations of mule deer to an area in northern Coahuila, Mexico and the southern Trans-Pecos Region of western Texas.

This mule deer restoration project will include the transplant of approximately 100 mule deer from the Pilares brood facility and released into the Casa Blanca / Cerro Salado area of El Carmen. These deer will supplement an existing but drought depressed population of mule deer in the area, and will ultimately form an interconnected population with herds on the opposite side of the Rio Grande and Texas/Mexico border. Extensive wildlife and habitat restoration work is already underway on the US side with mule deer transplants onto the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) and El Carmen Land and Conservation Company, LLC properties (CEMEX, USA and the Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation). This project is a critical component of a world class transboundary conservation effort on these properties involving numerous species and extensive rangeland restoration and habitat improvements.
"Boots on the ground projects with strong partners like the Houston Safari Club give everyone involved a part in a one of a kind transboundary wildlife conservation project," stated Alejandro Ortiz Robles, Director of Planning and Business Development at CEMEX USA. "Large tracts of contiguous lands on both sides of the Texas -Mexico border are critical to wildlife and provide avenues for normal dispersal. We appreciate the support from Houston Safari Club in our endeavors for transboundary conservation."

"Houston Safari Club is deeply dedicated to supporting efforts such as the El Carmen project- a sustainable use conservation effort which promotes the recovery of wildlife and habitat," stated HSC Executive Director, Joe Betar.

About The El Carmen Project
Initiated in 2000 by the CEMEX Corporation, the international concrete and building materials conglomerate based in Monterrey, Mexico, the El Carmen Project was envisioned as a world class conservation effort aimed at protecting what has been identified as one of the most diverse arid ecosystems in the world and an area of global conservation importance. Since that time a whirlwind of habitat and wildlife restoration efforts have yielded remarkable progress on a number of fronts, including the restoration of viable free-ranging populations of desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear and mule deer. Intertwined with the restoration efforts of these higher profile, more charismatic species has been a well designed and implemented landscape scale approach to restoring and protecting habitat that supports a dizzying array of both native and migratory wildlife on more than 400,000 acres of rugged and remote country spanning numerous eco-zones extending from the desert basin to majestic mountain peaks over 9000 feet in elevation.

About Houston Safari Club
Houston Safari Club (HSC), established in 1972, is a volunteer non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas. Their mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation and the protection of hunters' rights. HSC proudly provides one of the largest scholarship programs of its kind, in conjunction with its charitable arm, the American Conservation and Education Society (ACES). Together, HSC and ACES have provided millions of dollars for conservation, education and sporting rights initiatives worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at houstonsafariclub.org or call 713.623.8844.