Border Wall Waiver at Big Bend an Assault on Texas Values
On Monday, the Trump Administration issued a preliminary federal notice waiving a range of federal laws to allow border-related infrastructure in and around Big Bend National Park. This is a devastating development opposed by Texans and Americans from across the political spectrum.
Cheryl Shreier, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said:
“Big Bend National Park stands out for its unique desert landscape. With more nesting bird species than any other national park, towering canyon walls, and the largest international dark sky reserve in the entire world, Big Bend is an integral addition to our nation’s natural heritage. New infrastructure threatens all of this, heightening flood risk, inundating the skies with lights, and cutting off migration patterns for animals. Building in Big Bend would be mutilating an extraordinary landscape at a massive cost to the taxpayer—with little ultimate benefit.”
Earlier this year, there was a bipartisan outcry when maps from the Administration showed it would build part of its border wall through Big Bend itself. Opponents, from public lands advocates to local sheriffs, pointed out that Big Bend already has the lowest amount of illegal crossing activity, making the wall expensive, unnecessary, and environmentally destructive.
The Administration seemed to listen to the uproar and claimed it would no longer be building a wall, but continued pushing other measures like new paved roads and installing underground cables. In response, last month six former superintendents of Big Bend sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security urging the rejection of any waivers that would allow such harmful elements to be built. Yet on Monday, the Administration decided to move ahead in defiance of all opposition.
Bob Krumenaker, former superintendent of Big Bend National Park and chair of Keep Big Bend Wild, said:
“Despite what the Administration claims, this is not a border security issue. With natural walls taller than the Empire State Building, these 118 miles of the Rio Grande have long been acknowledged as the least active section of the border. Many of us that value the wide-open spaces of West Texas—myself included—believe in a strong border and have readily worked with Customs and Border Protection to ensure Big Bend remains secure.
“In last month’s letter, we yet again committed to working with security experts to identify the best ways to improve border security at a reasonable cost and without destroying our beloved Big Bend. Keep Big Bend Wild is studiously nonpartisan, but with Monday’s announcement, the Administration unfortunately showed it couldn’t care less about well-meaning efforts to make effective policy on public lands. This decision will be remembered by generations of Texans—and all Americans—as a waste of our money and an assault on not just our iconic desert but on the values that our national parks epitomize.”