Conservationists In New Mexico Are Concerned About A Border Wall’s Impact

President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border did not end the debate over the wall that he wants to build. There is plenty of discussion about how much walls would really affect the flow of people and goods. Those who live near the border raise an entirely different concern – how would walls affect the environment and the movement of animals? The border crosses through wildlands and touches six national parks.
At first glance, the Chihuahuan Desert seems, well, deserted – mostly sand spotted with mesquite and soaptree yucca. But it’s actually home to lots of wildlife – jack rabbits, coyotes, Mountain lion, foxes and even endangered species like the Mexican gray wolf. All sorts of animals have evolved for millennia untold to migrate freely through the desert. And now we have this really landscape-scale obstruction that will stop all species in their tracks. There is a deep concern about cutting these ecosystems in two.
To think we could do something like this, free of significant environmental consequences, it’s delusional. We’re fundamentally changing the landscape here without the benefit of environmental reviews.

Meanwhile, some experts have their eyes on the Rio Grande Valley, where new border fencing could cut through a flood plain. The fence wall is a huge barrier to the normal movement of water. After a border wall was constructed in 2008 in parts of Arizona, monsoon floodwaters built up behind the wall and poured into the Mexican city of Nogales. Heyman says something similar could happen on both sides of the border in the Rio Grande Valley. We really do share the same water, and it’s something that you can’t build a wall through.

In the newly-signed border security bill, some ecological sites in South Texas were specifically protected, but it’s not clear if they will remain that way now that President Trump has declared a national emergency.

Messy wintery mix comes to Hartford

Today: A chance of snow after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tonight: Snow, freezing rain, and sleet, becoming all freezing rain after midnight. Patchy fog after 10pm. Low around 26. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of around an inch possible.

Just kicking the tires on posting to this Breaking News site. – KL

Traffic heading westbound on Rt. 44 over “Avon Mountain” was on the light side Tuesday morning, likely due in part to a school holiday being observed in many area towns.