Border Fence Could Spell Doom For Texas Nature Preserves
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Border Fence Could Spell Doom For Texas Nature Preserves
Plans to waive environmental protection laws to speed construction of a border fence spell almost certain doom for two Texas nature preserves.
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(April 3, 2008)—The administration’s plan to waive environmental protection laws to speed construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border spells almost certain doom for the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and most of The Nature Conservancy’s Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve, both of which would end up in a no man’s land between the fence and Mexico.

The preserves have supported a growing ecotourism business in an economically struggling Lower Rio Grande Valley.

The Audubon center attracts 10,000 visitors a year, most of them birders, to its 557 acres east of Brownsville.

Trails wind through more than 30 acres of rare sabal palm forest.

The federal plans mean the last native sabal palm groves that once blanketed thousands of acres along the Rio Grande will be ceded to the Mexican side of the fence.

Fence planners have suggested they could add an access gate for its property, but the Audubon Society has dismissed that as unworkable once the preserve is behind a steel fence.

Latest Comments

Posted by: NO WAY Location: Won't work on Apr 10, 2008 at 09:20 PM

A fence is not going to stop anything and Congress knows it. This is just political posturing to appease those who want it. What a huge waste of money and an environmental disaster. It's not about watching birds for us "environmental types", it's about destroying precious habitat and biodiversity. You people don't understand the part about destroying the environment and the extinction of species. Everything living is interrelated and affects human lives. Important habitat and species are disappearing at an alarming rate in this country. Every living thing serves a role in an ecosystem and if you remove one species, an ecosystem is in danger of collapse. In the big picture, this can cause catastrophic crop failures and starvation. This has all been studied globally and the US is one of the worst offenders. Why cause more damage when we have made such progress protecting this land when the government admits a fence will not work.
Posted by: Whut the Location: Fudge on Apr 5, 2008 at 01:16 AM

Why build a fence? It will only have to be torn down again when this continent becomes the united states of north america! Besides unless its going to be an electric fence it will only slow them down! NOTHING will stop them from chasing the american dream that doesnt really seem to be for americans anymore anyway! I say dig a moat along the border and fill it with piranhas!
Posted by: Anonymous Location: central texas on Apr 5, 2008 at 01:15 AM

I'd rather give them a few trees and a little land, than a job or a handout! I say build it...and they WON'T come! Keep our borders sealed and our country safe! And for the die hard bird watchers...you can always go watch the birds from the "other" side!
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