BorderlandsPhotograph from The Nature Conservancy Texas Video
The Nature Conservancy’s Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve, 1,034 acres of shelter for many rare, threatened or endangered species, is under threat--from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The proposed Mexico border fence, which will actually be located a mile and a half north of the border, will leave three-quarters of the preserve in a virtual no-man's land between the USA and Mexico.
Resaca and Sabal PalmsPhotograph by Lynn McBride, The Nature Conservancy
The preserve provides habitat for wildlife, thousands of native plants to parks and wildlife departments, an ongoing demonstration of organic and sustainable agricultural practices, and a living laboratory for researchers who live on the property as they study its unusual birds and amphibians.
DHS filed suit against The Nature Conservancy to condemn eight acres the fence will actually occupy—a 60-foot-wide strip of land running 6,000 feet across the preserve, offering $114,000 in recompense. DHS has made no provision for the preserve to manage the 700+ acres that will be cut off by the wall.
OcelotPhotograph by Lynn McBride, The Nature Conservancy
Animals cut off from their water supply will die, two avian flyways will be disrupted by the wall, hundreds of endangered species of flora and fauna will disappear forever.
The border is an artificial construct, the wall is an abomination.
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5 comments:
Almost everything man does endangers wildlife the border fence is no exception. But every coin has two sides--the fence would stop tens of thousands from tearing the terrain up on both sides---what does one do!!! No easy answer.
@ron-the trails at the water crossings have existed since pre-history. Then they became the trading trails of natives. The wall is just wrong.
Actually, the border wall coin is missing its positive side. The Border Patrol has called it a speed bump, saying that it will only slow crossers down by about 5 minutes, not stop anyone. As for its environmental damage vs. theirs, they leave trash and trails, but it bulldozes thousands of acres and fragments habitat. DHS Secretary Chertoff waived 36 federal laws to build it, including the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. He did this because the border wall violates those laws. It will drive ocelots and jaguarundi in south Texas, and Sonoran pronghorn in Arizona, over the edge to extinction. Immigrants won't do that.
There is one fact thats not debatable the more people the fewer animals. I'm a hunter and have spent my life in the woods and I'm certainly not a "spring chicken". When I was a young boy growing up in southwestern Mississippi not far from the banks of the big muddy. We had few deer and fewer wild turkeys. I happy to report that the deer herds are thriving and the wild turkey population is great. Several things have brought about this change. First many years ago up until the 1950's much land was farmed by cotton farmers and small subsistance farmers, both of which ran some cattle. The woods were thinned and the underbrush was kept under control by burning. Then something major happened--RYE GRASS--farmers learned to plant a winter cover crop and this gave the deer and turkey something to eat on year around. The number of farmers in this area decreased because of other factors and the forest began to come back. The hunting got better and strict enforcement of games laws helped. Only bucks and gobblers could be shot. All man-made changes--some planned and others brought on by pure happenstance. Thought you all might like hearing these things. I'm a hunter and enviromentalist, but not a radical in either pursuit.
@no border wall-the Bush Admin did more to set back environmental protection than any president. I hope they may be reversed as the folly goes to light.
@ron-thanks for stopping by. Nature recovers when it is allowed.
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