Illegal immigrants wreak havoc on the delicate desert environment in Arizona; fencing or walls only make it worse.
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is "a tragic juncture of geography and politics. If the refuge didn't share nearly six miles of borderline with Mexico, it likely wouldn't host up to 3,000 illegal migrants and smugglers on any given night. Nor would it have 500 tons of trash yearly from that commerce, or an army of Border Patrol agents rumbling about in their trucks and ATVs."
Stephen Mumme, a border environmental management expert at Colorado State University, claims: "The Border Patrol made a raw calculation that the politics of immigration -- and the political support for the agency -- would be strengthened by moving immigration out of the high-density areas." So people are forced to attempt border crossings in remote rural areas. In the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge near Ajo, Arizona, heavy illegal immigration harasses already endangered wildlife such as lesser long-nosed bats and Sonoran pronghorn.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security does not require the presence of environmental experts to consider environmental impacts of infrastructure at the border. According to Jenny Neeley from Defenders of Wildlife: "Proposals like 700 miles of fencing or walls would absolutely devastate the border environment."
FULL STORY: Borderline Tragedy

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.

E-Scooter Parking: A Guide
How smart planning — and ample designated parking — can end conflicts over shared scooters.

‘It’s Been 50 years’: Public Transit Law Passes in Montana
Legislation would fix transportation district issue, allow for greater reach on city bus routes.

Top 10 Tech-Ready Cities
An index ranks U.S. cities based on their preparedness for the ‘smart city future.’
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions