Border Ecological Issues Require Immediate Attention, Says Collaborative Report

Border Ecological Issues Require Immediate

(08/23/2005) - TUCSON, AZ -- Environmental degradation resulting from human migration and increased security operations along the Mexico border with Arizona must be urgently addressed to avoid impacts to endangered and threatened species, says a report released today by two regional conservation organizations.

"The window of opportunity to include ecological planning in the proposed expansion of border security infrastructure is rapidly closing," says Kim Vacariu, Southwest Director of the Wildlands Project, co-sponsor of a border ecological symposium that produced the report based on input from state and federal agencies, scientists, elected officials, and conservationists.

The importance of integrating ecological concerns into the immigration and border security debate was evidenced by participation in the symposium by representatives for U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), all of whom are co-sponsoring various immigration reform legislation to be introduced in Congress this year.

According to Jenny Neeley of Defenders of Wildlife, who co-sponsored the symposium, a process that protects both border security and wildlife habitat at the same time presents complex issues that will require broad collaboration to succeed. "We understand that some activity is going to be required to protect the border," she said, "but blocking critical cross-border wildlife corridors will threaten the natural movement of travel-dependent species, many of which are endangered."

According to the report, most officials in attendance agreed that "…the highest level consideration for mitigating impacts to habitat and wildlife from border security operations is international immigration policy reform that results in the channeling of immigrants through legal ports of entry rather than through other locations elsewhere along the border."

While a consensus was not reached among all symposium participants regarding methods for resolution of identified ecological concerns, the extensive list of critical issues identified in the process was deemed sufficient justification for elevating ecological concerns to a prominent role in border security planning.

"Our hope is that this report will encourage the research and political actions necessary to make better decisions about where and how to build border security barriers, and how to design other operations so that wildlife is impacted as little as possible," said Vacariu.

To view the report online, visit here.

For a paper copy of the report, titled "Ecological Considerations for Border Security Operations," contact the Wildlands Project at (520) 884-0875, or Defenders of Wildlife at (520) 623-9653.

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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading non-profit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 475,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. To stay current on hot topics in wildlife conservation, please visit www.defenders.org.

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Contact(s):

Jenny Neeley, Defenders of Wildlife, (520) 623-9653
Kim Vacariu, Wildlands Project, (520) 884-0875