Drone Footage Reveals Complete Removal of Arizona’s Rogue Border Wall
TUCSON, Ariz. (February 7, 2023) - New aerial imagery gathered by Wildlands Network confirms that ex-Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s shipping container border wall has been removed in its entirety from the San Rafael Valley in the Coronado National Forest.
Within days after construction began on the shipping container wall on October 24th, 2022, Wildlands Network’s borderlands program coordinator, Myles Traphagen, created a map that he updated several times a week to track the progress of the wall. Using satellite imagery, on-the-ground daily reports and drone flights, he shared the dynamic map with agency officials, media, activists and concerned public citizens.
“I started mapping border wall construction in 2018, and then mapped the entire border wall in California, Arizona and New Mexico, but this is the first time I’ve ‘unmapped’ a border wall,” said Traphagen after he made his final update to the map.
The mile-high San Rafael Valley is a unique and crucial biodiversity hotspot that harbors many of the Sky Island region’s most iconic animals, like the black bear, which shares habitat with endangered neo-tropical species like the ocelot and jaguar. Throughout the construction of the makeshift barrier, conservationists feared it would cause significant damage to wildlife and wildlife migration and connectivity.
“The San Rafael Valley was spared from border wall construction during the Trump years,” according to Traphagen, “and despite this being the single-most important victory in the border wall fight, we must ensure that it remains open for free-ranging wildlife and waterways, like the Santa Cruz River which originates in this valley.” Following a series of complaints and lawsuits, the State of Arizona was ordered to remove the shipping containers from the National Forest by the Federal government after they were illegally placed on public land without permit or authorization.
Although dismantling this provisional wall is a huge victory for wildlife connectivity, Traphagen mentions that there is more work to be done, “the Forest Service will need to assess the damage caused by the wall and to monitor the scarred area for invasive species.” The images and video gathered by Traphagen affirm the stark reality of the detrimental scarring caused by the recent construction and dismounting activities.
Wildlands Network continues to monitor the situation along the border wall daily, not only where the shipping containers once were, but across Arizona and New Mexico. Last year we released a report detailing sites along the U.S.-Mexico border that are in most need of substantial environmental restoration following construction of the border wall during the Trump Administration.
####
Resources
View images available for media use.
Contact
Myles Traphagen, Borderlands Program Coordinator, myles@wildlandsnetwork.org
About
Since 1991, Wildlands Network has been committed to reconnecting, restoring and restoring nature in North America for the benefit of all species. Our work is science-based, field-driven, and advanced through policy and strategic partnerships.
