Local governments, cities or counties, are finding that federal statutes are helpful in getting the federal agencies tgo come to a negotiating table with the locals, no matter the size. The federal statutes require coordination (defined "equal status, not subordinate") between the agencies and locals for purpose of finding consistency between feds and locals as to policies, plans, and management actions.
This coordination has been successful in Owyhee County, Idaho to keep ranchers in business and avoid species listings; in Modoc County, California in keeping ranchers protected against 7 endangered speices of fish; and is now in place in Del Norte, Inyo, and Tuolmne Counties in California, Fremont County in Wyoming, Uintah County in Utah, and is now going into place in several towns in Wisconsin.
The coordination requirement is found in FEMA and Homeland Security statutes, as well as all land management statutes. Currently, coordination is being used by Texas small towns who have formed planning commissions and have stalled the I-35 texas superhighway for at least 14 months, and perhaps longer. The story of the Texas commissions fighting the fight for landowners can be found at Stewards of the Range website and was told in a main article in Fort Worth newspaper this past week.
Someone in the border area should inquire about the potential for putting up a good statutory fight against illegal immigrants through a coordination plan and policy adopted by a city, town or county.
Information can be obtained at Stewards in Texas, 512-365-8038.
fred kelly grant, president stewards of the range