Proposed Border Wall Threatens Wildlife—comments urgently needed!
March 17, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing to build 56 miles (!) of continuous wire fence (16-18′ tall), and install 21 miles of high-intensity lighting from El Paso downstream along the levee of the Rio Grande to thwart illegal border crossings. This is part of DHS’ plan to build up to 700 miles of wall along the U.S. Mexico border in 2008.
Border security is important, but this is not the right approach. The fence and lights would have devastating impacts on wildlife that use the Rio Grande corridor. DHS cavalierly dismisses these impacts by saying the area is “already disturbed” and therefore the impacts would not be significant. This is simply not true.
Consider these facts:
Although the riparian habitat along the river near El Paso has been modified, it is still used by and important to wildlife species such as bobcats, gray foxes, beaver, skunks, coyotes, porcupine, bats, kit foxes, long-tail weasels, raccoons, badgers, nutria and muskrats.
For animals larger than a lizard or mouse that can’t fly, the fence would cut off access to the river, and prevent the movement of wildlife across the border, thereby fragmenting their habitat and increasing the chances that local populations will disappear.
The Rio Grande is a major migratory bird flyway. Light towers like the ones proposed have been documented to cause “tower kills” by attracting and confusing large concentrations of birds that collide with the towers or each other. This potential impact was completely ignored by DHS.
Artificial lights have been shown to adversely affect the behavior of many wildlife species, including frogs, salamanders, toads, fish. (See Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting <http://www.urbanwildlands.org/ecanlbook.html> on Island Press). <http://www.urbanwildlands.org/longcore.html>
The DHS completely ignores ongoing efforts by groups like the Southwest Environmental Center to restore habitat along the U.S. side of the river, per a 1999 agreement with the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission.
The DHS is taking public comments until March 19th on this proposal. Please take the time to voice your opposition to the construction of the border fence. It will only take a second. Tell them that you want them to scrap the proposed fence, which is bad for wildlife and easily bypassed by determined border crossers. Instead, urge them to install a “virtual” fence that relies on sensors and more agents, instead of infrastructure that harms wildlife, such as lights and physical barriers. Congress gave DHS the authority in 2007 to employ virtual technology—tell them to use it!
Please take a moment to send a quick email to DHS by Wednesday, March 19. Send your email to DHS at:
EPEAcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
Please send a copy of your message to the following elected officials, and ask them to also support a moratorium on additional fence building along the U.S. Mexican border until 2009. We need a comprehensive approach to border security that addresses root causes, is effective, and does not cause harm to border wildlife and ecosystems.
Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM)– senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
(If you live in El Paso) Congressman Silvestre Reyes (El Paso)– http://wwwc.house.gov/reyes/voice_your_opinion.asp
Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (El Paso Co., Hudspeth Co., etc.) — http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=46 <http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=46>
And please send us a copy, so we know how many comments were sent.
aguss@wildmesquite.org <mailto:swec@zianet.com>
Thank you for caring AND taking action. Call (575) 522-5552 for more information.
–
Kevin Bixby, Executive Director
Southwest Environmental Center
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