Vision: The Cienega watershed will be a healthy ecosystem enjoyed by future generations through collaborative efforts of all stakeholders. Adaptive management practices will be based on best practices and empirical data. The Cienega Watershed Partnership (CWP) and its partner organizations will serve as a model for a collaborative and unified approach to land conservation and for active stewardship on the part of stakeholders.Mission:CWP facilitates cooperative actions that steward the natural and cultural resources of the Cienega Watershed while enabling sustainable human use.CWP will accomplish this by generating and dispersing resources to enable the implementation of strategies and programs that contribute to the ecological health, long-term sustainable use, and culture of the region.Core Values:CWP values an ecosystem approach to science-based management of natural resources for the long term through collaborative efforts on the part of diverse stakeholders. Our first priority is the natural ecosystem, and we believe human uses are compatible in so far as they do no harm.

Impact Summary from the Nonprofit The Cienega Watershed Partnership and the landscapes it represents face the potential for rapid change in both the natural and human systems that will affect the composition and effective functioning of the entire ecosystem.* The region is rich in biodiversity, but the trend is toward loss of diversity and thus loss of adaptability and resilience.* There is a proliferation of non-native and invasive species.* The sky island border region is particularly susceptible to dramatic change induced by climate. * Urbanization, to include transportation and infrastructure, are displacing and fragmenting habitat and wildlife corridors.* Growth in human population is affecting natural and beneficial fire regime. * Growth in human population is increasing both recreational and consumptive uses and exaggerating their impacts.* It is increasingly evident that there is not sufficient water to support current patterns of development. That issue is exaggerated by water laws that do not recognize the relationship between surface and subsurface flows. The problem is made worse by zoning and land use laws that allow occupancies without clear evidence of adequate supplies of water.* A multi-cultural, bi-national environment with an international border is affected by security, economic, and social issues that may stress the underlying natural systems and the quality of ecological services.* Changes in the economy and changes in local, regional, state, and federal government may affect the ability to protect and steward the region.* As we become more urban and connected through technologies, it may be a challenge to engage people and encourage understanding, appreciation, and a commitment to live in ways that contribute to effective ecologies.