The barrier would run through Big Bend National Park, raising alarms among environmentalists who say it will harm wildlife in the region.
A proposed border wall section in West Texas is drawing criticism from environmentalists and residents in the region, where the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has waived 28 environmental, historical, and archaeological regulations to expedite construction of the barrier.
As Martha Pskowski explains in Inside Climate News, a map posted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates that the agency plans to build a “smart wall” within the boundaries of Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park.
“According to the CBP website, construction for the smart wall can include a steel bollard wall or waterborne barrier, ‘along with roads, detection technology, cameras and lighting and in some cases a secondary wall.’” Environmentalists say wildlife in the region would suffer, while the area already sees some of the lowest unauthorized border crossings due to its remoteness.
Spokespeople for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Big Bend National Park say they have not received any requests or information about border barrier infrastructure within the parks.
FULL STORY: Border Wall Closes in on Big Bend
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