Border wall construction in Big Bend sparks wildlife and dark-sky concerns
Contractors have begun clearing a route for a new patrol road and barriers inside Big Bend National Park as part of the Trump administration’s border-wall expansion, prompting criticism over impacts on wildlife and the region’s dark-sky status.
As part of the Trump administration’s $46.5 billion effort to extend the U.S.-Mexico border wall, contractors started bulldozing a corridor inside Texas’s Big Bend National Park last week. The work prepares a patrol road that will run the length of the park and includes the placement of 17 miles of 4- to 6-foot vehicle barriers, along with new cameras and sensors. The Texas Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has voiced strong objections, noting that the wall could obstruct wildlife corridors used by black bears, mountain lions, bighorn sheep and other native species, and would cut off access to extensive stretches of the Rio Grande for paddlers and anglers.
Dark-sky supporters warn that additional lighting from surveillance equipment threatens the park’s status as the nation’s largest certified dark-sky site, potentially harming tourism and scientific observation. Although the plan omits the 30-foot wall seen in other border areas, the construction still raises significant environmental and recreational concerns among local groups and conservationists.
Why it matters
The project threatens wildlife habitats and the dark-sky environment that draws tourists and supports research in a national park.
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