RCE North Texas is a network of multidisciplinary stakeholders, including higher education institutions, businesses, non-governmental organisations, community associations, and local, regional, state and federal government agencies.

RCE North Texas comprises the sixteen counties of North Texas. Of the ten ecoregions within the state of Texas, the sixteen-county RCE North Texas is located predominantly in two of them. Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Navarro, Hunt, Rockwall and Kaufman counties are in what is known as the Blackland Prairies ecoregion; while Denton, Tarrant, Johnson, Wise, Parker, Hood, Somervell, Palo Pinto and Erath counties are in the Cross-Timber ecoregion. The proximate dividing line between the two is the main corridor of the Trinity River as it runs between Dallas and Fort Worth. The Blackland Prairies ecoregion spans 6.1 million hectares from the Red River on the Texas-Oklahoma border to near San Antonio in South Texas. The Cross Timbers ecoregion stretches from Kansas and Oklahoma to an area just south of the North Texas geographic region.

As the second most populous state in the nation, the region of North Texas has a larger population than most of the other fifty states. The sixteen counties of North Texas encompass a diverse and vibrant demographic and economic region. It is a region that has grown dramatically over the past forty years, and is set to get much more crowded, with growth projections indicating a more than doubling in population size from the current 7.2 million residents by the year 2050. In this rapid growth scenario, all sectors of the region have grave concerns and raise the question: How will North Texas fare and grow in a sustainable manner as it confronts exploding population projections and associated environmental, economic and social challenges. At this pivotal moment for North Texas, the formation of this RCE will be an influencer in the community as cities expand, providing the resources to maximise the potential economic opportunity that well-managed communities can offer.

RCE North Texas is focused on the following SDGs, which are deemed as priorities for the region: Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3); Quality Education (SDG 4); and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).

Photo credit: RCE North Texas