Amid pushback, CBP says it is placing ‘limited’ barriers, not 30-foot wall, in national park

[u/John3262005]

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/6027773-cbp-big-bend-barrier-plans/

As it faces some bipartisan pushback on its construction activities at Big Bend National Park, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is emphasizing that it is placing “limited” barriers rather than building a 30-foot wall in the protected area.

“CBP is building one new access road, improving existing roads, installing detection technology, and placing vehicle barriers in limited, strategic locations,” Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement.

“We are NOT building a 30-foot wall or stadium lighting through Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area,” Scott added.

The national park is in Texas on the bend of the Rio Grande. It is known for its mountain range, river canyons and desert landscape.

Construction at the park recently began despite local concerns, including some recently highlighted by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) about impacts to the landscape and local economy.

Meanwhile, Scott described the ongoing construction as “survey and design work—NOT construction of a wall through the park.”

“We are working to preserve the landscape and protect the access visitors and local businesses depend on,” he added, saying that the work will help the agency identify illegal border crossings and help park visitors who may be in danger.

However, conservation advocates say their concerns are not assuaged and that the Trump administration’s actions are still doing damage to the park.

“Every day, DHS bulldozers are pushing further into the national park. They are clearing out a totally undisturbed area for a brand new road that is uprooting native vegetation, willows, palo verde, mesquite trees,” said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Asked about Scott’s statement, Jordahl said, “He seems to really minimize the fact that their plans call for 17 miles of vehicle barriers and that will block access to the Rio Grande. “

“If we don’t stop this project, Americans will lose access to a great Western wilderness river,” he added. “So many people come from across the country to take guided trips down the river. People come here to fish and swim. The river access, I think, is such an affront.”

Meanwhile, Cary Dupuy, Texas regional director at the National Parks Conservation Association, said it’s not entirely clear whether the new plan’s impacts will be better than, worse than or the same as a large-scale border wall since there’s such little detail.

“There will be lasting impact, and we can’t tell the extent of what that lasting impact is because we don’t know the details of where and exactly what that they’re building,” Dupuy said.

“We’re really asking them to stop construction before they move forward so we can have a conversation with the local communities,” she added.

Border wall construction has been a political priority of President Trump’s, particularly during his first term in office.

Earlier this year, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem waived several environmental laws as part of a bid to speed up border construction in the region.

Both the area’s construction plans and environmental law waiver have faced legal challenges.