Congressman Raul Grijalva Introduces Legislation That Secure
Congressman Raul Grijalva Introduces Legislation That Secures America's Border While Protecting Local Communities and Wildlife
Legislation Echoes Recommendations by Coalition of Concerned Military,
Federal and Conservation Stakeholders
WASHINGTON, June 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Raul Grijalva
(D-AZ) yesterday introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that
would secure America's border with Mexico while reducing the negative
impact on local communities and resources, including national parks,
wildlife refuges and monuments that are home to several critically
endangered species. H.R.2593, the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act
of 2007, would amend existing immigration and border security laws,
including the recently-passed Secure Fence Act and REALID Act, to help
alleviate the devastating impacts of undocumented immigration and border
enforcement activities on public lands, wildlife and borderland
communities.
"Congressman Grijalva's bill brings some much needed common sense to
immigration reform and border security," said Rodger Schlickeisen,
president of Defenders of Wildlife. "It strikes an appropriate balance
between ensuring our borders are secure and conserving our treasured lands
and wildlife."
The goal of the bill is to ensure protections for wildlife, local
communities and federally protected lands, including national treasures
such as Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National
Wildlife Refuge, while securing the border against undocumented immigrant
traffic. In order to achieve this goal, the bill:
-- Provides the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the ability
to decide whether fences, vehicle barriers or virtual fences would be
most effective in securing the border.
-- Gives land management agencies, Native American tribes and local
communities a voice in border construction decisions.
-- Requires compliance with laws meant to protect the air, water,
wildlife, culture and the health and safety of people in borderland
communities.
-- Funds initiatives that help mitigate damage to borderland wildlife
and resources.
Congressman Grijalva's bill echoes the consensus recommendations for
managing borderland resources recently made by a coalition of concerned
groups, including military personnel, border agents, land managers and
conservation groups. Those recommendations can be found at
http://www.defenders.org/border/arizona ... ations.pdf.
NOTE: It is a large file and may take a moment to load.
Over a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border lies within public lands on
which a large number of imperiled species rely. The border patrol estimates
that near the Arizona-Mexico border alone there are 39 species protected or
proposed to be protected under the Endangered Species Act. However,
according to the REALID Act passed by Congress in 2006, DHS is allowed to
waive any and all federal, state and local laws to construct walls, roads
and other barriers in the vicinity of the border. Congressman Grijalva's
bill limits this authority and requires that DHS consult with local
officials and land managers to determine the effect that a wall will have
on the communities and wildlife in the area before constructing a fence and
if necessary, allows for DHS to explore other options.
"National security comes first, but we can have security without
destroying our valued lands and imperiled wildlife," said Schlickeisen.
"Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff has already twice waived important
federal laws to begin building a wall. In one of these instances he also
ignored recommendations by local experts in order to construct an
unnecessary and environmentally devastating wall in the Barry M. Goldwater
Range. In such remote areas, vehicle barriers and virtual fence technology
can often be more effective than walls in securing the border, and they do
so without damaging wildlife, communities and protected lands."
The need for consultation requirements in Congressman Grijalva's bill
has been illustrated by recent events in Texas. DHS has released plans for
extensive border wall construction in south Texas with little or no input
from local communities or federal agencies, many of whom have said that a
wall will negatively impact the economy and environment of the region.
Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native
animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 900,000
members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for
innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to
come. For more information, visit http://www.defenders.org.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 268&EDATE=
This legislation is a wolf in sheeps clothing...
What this bill really means is that so called environmental groups will be able to lobby against the border fence by claiming that construction of the fence would harm endangered species. I would be surprised if they invented some new previously unknown species too. Like the double breasted fence jumper, the hobble toed hitchhiker, and the five toed river wrangler.
In addition they could claim that the fence would reduce the food supply for turkey buzzards, wild dogs, and certain insect life. What a crock!
