First-ever Map and Priority Restoration Areas of Border Wall through Arizona and New Mexico Released
The first publicly available map documenting the U.S.-Mexico border wall through New Mexico and Arizona was released Tuesday. The map depicts completed sections of border wall as well as other related construction activities and is the most accurate, detailed and up-to-date documentation of new sections of border wall completed during the Trump Administration.
The map, produced by the nonprofit Wildlands Network, was developed through remote sensing and extensive on-the-ground fieldwork to assess what was completed and the progress of sections that were not completed. The Great Old Broads for Wilderness assisted in on-the-ground surveys through portions of Arizona.
Following the April announcement by the Biden Administration that it would end border wall construction contracts and shift funding to restoration, the map is an important resource for understanding where remediation and removal of border walls should be prioritized.
“The borderlands have long been an essential region for the continental movement of wildlife,” said Myles Traphagen, borderlands coordinator for Wildlands Network who led the mapping effort. “Unfortunately, border wall construction has impacted some of the highest value wildlife habitat and areas that are most important for wildlife migration in the region.”
In addition to the map, Wildlands Network has also released a StoryMap that highlights six priority restoration areas in Arizona and New Mexico. In New Mexico, these include sites in the Whitewater Mountains and the Carrizalillo Mountains. The priority restoration areas in Arizona include sites in the Patagonia Mountains, Pajarito Mountains and San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge – all of which are in desperate need of immediate restoration.
“Following the Biden Administration’s announcement that remaining funds would be shifted to restoration, there were many questions about how much money remained, who would lead restoration, and where restoration would be prioritized,” said Michael Dax, Western program director for Wildlands Network. “For Arizona and New Mexico, we believe these are the areas where restoration must occur to protect the unique natural resource values, including wildlife migration.”
Numerous species including deer, pronghorn, bear, javelina and mountain lion have been impacted by the wall, which has isolated these binational populations. Additionally, a jaguar was recently spotted in the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona—only the seventh sighting in the past 25 years. Connectivity between the U.S. and Mexico will be essential for the species’ long-term recovery, especially as more animals attempt to travel north into historically occupied habitats.
Beginning in March 2019, Wildlands Network started mapping the proposed border wall projects from court documents that described the planned locations. Over the ensuing two years, the team used drones, ground-based photos and GPS to track the project.
When construction was halted on January 20, 2021, Wildlands Network marked the endpoints of construction to ensure that the stop work order had not been violated. At that point, staff systematically drove nearly every mile of the border in New Mexico and Arizona to document cases of severe environmental destruction and hazards, as well as to identify locations where the wall had not been completed and other gaps in the wall that wildlife can use.
“We found that there was a lot of shoddy construction and many places where contractors had not figured out how to deal with drainages that are prone to flash floods when strong desert downpours occur,” says Traphagen. “We also found that most of the flood gates installed that are designed to be opened during periods of heavy rains were welded shut, with no possibility to open them in a timely fashion should flooding occur.”
Wildlands Network, which focuses on the protection of large-scale habitat and corridors for wildlife in North America, is working to ensure wildlife can safely traverse political boundaries, like the U.S.-Mexico border and other human-made barriers to ensure their natural movements.
“There has been a lot of misinformation around the border wall and its construction,” says Dax. “Our hope is that this map will be a resource for the Biden Administration and congressional leaders when directing funding towards remediation and restoration of the borderlands, and we look forward to working with leaders to restore this ecologically important landscape.”
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Contact:
Michael Dax, Western Program Director
michael@wildlandsnetwork.org, 518-598-3442
Resources:
To view the interactive map, click here
To read the StoryMap, click here
To access a folder of press images, click here
Since 1991, Wildlands Network has been committed to reconnecting, restoring and rewilding North America so that life—in all its diversity—can thrive. Our work is founded in science, driven by fieldwork and furthered through strategic policy and partnerships. We envision a North America where nature is undivided, and where people coexist in harmony with our native plants and animals.
