The U.S.-Mexico borderlands region is globally treasured for its biodiversity. The region is home to over 800 species, including more than half of all bird species found in the U.S. Native animals like jaguars, pronghorn, Mexican wolves, black bears, and ocelot depend on unobstructed movement between the two countries.
The construction of an impermeable border wall across the heartland of North America is an unconscionable act of destruction on a continental scale, writes Borderlands Program Coordinator Myles Traphagen.
The cost of the border wall is estimated at $18 billion. To put this incomprehensible figure in perspective, it is enough money to test every person in America for COVID-19.
Despite a near worldwide effort to self-quarantine and social distance in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, construction of Trump’s border wall moves forward apace. And it’s creating a ticking time bomb of a regional public health crisis. The thousands of construction workers that commute weekly to and from all parts of the country… Continue reading “Despite Coronavirus, Trump’s Border Wall Continues”…
Earlier this week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1158, which includes the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security 2020 Appropriations. Once again, Congress has delivered another blow to wildlands by providing $1.375 billion in funding for the construction of more border wall. This is enough funding for 350 more miles of wall… Continue reading “How Border Walls Alter the Evolutionary History of North America”…
Leer una versión en español abajo Conserving the shared ecosystems and species of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands depends on understanding who is in charge of managing the land that species need to recover, persist and thrive. Yet we often ignore or are overwhelmed by the land management aspects of conservation, especially in Mexico where ownership and… Continue reading “Challenges and Opportunities for Transboundary Conservation in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands”…
Our Borderlands Program Coordinator, Myles Traphagen, spoke with the Arizona Daily Star about the potentially devastating effects of a border wall on the Sonoran pronghorn, who ranges between both Mexico and the U.S. to find food, mates, shelter, and other resources. Photo: Tom Koerner, USFWS
Myles Traphagen, coordinator of our Borderlands Program, spoke with Arizona’s KTAR News about the disastrous ecological effects of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Photo: Brian Powell
On April 24, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the final Jaguar Recovery Plan. Many of the recovery actions proposed in the plan reaffirm Wildlands Network’s key strategies for protecting and enhancing jaguar populations in Mexico and the U.S., while also demonstrating the need for continued robust advocacy with government officials to improve and strengthen the official recovery programs. Photo: © milosk50 / Adobe Stock
KVOA, a local news station in Tucson, Arizona, interviewed our borderlands coordinator, Myles Traphagen, about the Pentagon’s recent transfer of $1 billion to build the border wall in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. If such a wall is built, it will facilitate an ecological disaster, cutting off iconic species who call both the U.S. and… Continue reading “Border Construction Concerns Conservation Groups, Wildlife Experts”…
On Tuesday, the Department of Defense, in response to a directive issued by President Trump, announced that it was transferring $1 billion U.S. dollars to build Trump’s unnecessary and destructive border wall.Wildlands Network strongly opposes the construction of a border wall. The building of such a structure in southern Arizona and New Mexico would be an ecological disaster with far reaching implications. Photo: Tom Koerner, USFWS
El mes pasado, unos 40 líderes de conservación de la vida silvestre de Estados Unidos y México formaron la Colaboración para la Conservación de los Estados Fronterizos, un grupo de trabajo informal dedicado a preservar la conectividad y la biodiversidad única de las tierras fronterizas. Foto: Cortesía Colaboración para la Conservación de los Estados Fronterizos
Last month, some 40 wildlife conservation leaders from both the United States and Mexico formed the Border States Conservation Collaborative, an informal working group dedicated to preserving the connectivity and unique biodiversity of the borderlands. Photo: Courtesy Border States Conservation Collaborative
In the world of conservation, grasslands usually take a back seat to mountains and forests. But at the Tucson International Airport, grasses take center stage in larger-than-life prints in artist Matilda Essig’s exhibit. Our borderlands coordinator, Myles Traphagen, sat down with Matilda for an interview on the critical role grasses play in healthy ecosystems. Photo: Myles Traphagen
You’re invited to participate in the Border BioBlitz, March 2-3, all along the U.S.-Mexico border. Join us, Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, and other collaborating organizations to document the stunning biological diversity of the borderlands at several key sites. All citizen scientists are encouraged to participate! Photo: Myles Traphagen
The Arizona Daily Star published this op-ed by our Borderlands Program Coordinator, Myles Traphagen, who details the catastrophic effects the president’s proposed border wall would have on regional wildlife, including wolves, Sonoran pronghorn, and jaguars. Photo: Gary M. Stolz