Thread: Fence to Carve Up Fragile Border Preserve

Fence to Carve Up Fragile Border Preserve
November 26, 2008
By Enrique Gili
Inter Press Service



Another chapter in U.S.-Mexico border relations is about to close. In the waning days of the George W. Bush administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is completing construction of a 22-kilometre triple fence along the San Diego-Tijuana border.


It is being done over the objections of environmental activists living near the border, who are worried both about the toll on wildlife and those seeking entry into the United States. A patch of green encircled by two cities, the Tijuana estuary lacks the grandeur of a mountain range but to biologists and conservationists it’s an invaluable piece of real estate.


Created in 1981, the Tijuana River Research Reserve is an island of relative calm at the centre of a political maelstrom that pits conservations against advocates that promote tighter border controls.


Nesting amid coastal sage and tall grass, 400 species of birds inhabit the wetlands. Thousands more birds return each year to one of the last vestiges of salt marsh existing in Southern California, where 90 percent have been lost to development.


“The estuary is one of the few remaining in Southern California without heavy human intrusion,â€

Jean,
I like your little Jack Benny

Originally Posted by jimpasz

Jean,
I like your little Jack Benny

Hey, I hadn't thought of Jack Benny but you're right jim, does look like him.