'National tragedy': Trump begins border wall construction in Unesco reserve

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

'National tragedy': Trump begins border wall construction in Unesco reserve

Wall will traverse the entirety of the southern edge of the Organ Pipe Cactus national monument, one of the most biologically diverse regions in the US

Samuel Gilbert in Tucson, Arizona
@samuelgilbert1
Fri 13 Sep 2019 06.00 BST
Last modified on Fri 13 Sep 2019 15.05 BST

Construction of a 30ft-high section of Donald Trump’s border barrier has begun in the Organ Pipe Cactus national monument in southern Arizona, a federally protected wilderness area and Unesco-recognized international biosphere reserve.

In the face of protests by environmental groups, the wall will traverse the entirety of the southern edge of the monument. It is part of the 175 miles of barrier expansion along the US-Mexico border being funded by the controversial diversion of $3.6bn from military construction projects.

This will include construction in Texas, New Mexico as well as Arizona where, according to a government court filing, some 44 miles of new barrier construction will pass through three federally protected areas. These are the Organ Pipe wilderness, Cabeza Prieta national wildlife refuge and San Pedro Riparian national conservation area, the location of Arizona’s last free-flowing river.

The Trump administration has deemed the new structures necessary due to a “national emergency” of unauthorized immigration into the US. According to CBP, in the 2019 fiscal year there have been 14,265 apprehensions in the Tucson sector, where the Organ Pipe wall is going up, compared to 51,411 in the nearby Yuma sector of Arizona and over 205,000 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/12/border-wall-organ-pipe-cactus-arizona

[cilla4progress]

1. You fucking kidding me?

Very hard not to give up....

[nykym]

2. I would hope that the next democratic president

will have the guts to tear down these offensive barriers that cross federally protected areas and return them to their original purpose of protecting our environment.

[RussellCattle]

3. "The location of Arizona"s last free flowing river". That really says it all about...

....not just Trump's wanton disregard of the environment, but the low bar that we have set for ourselves, over the years, in how we have protected the natural beauty of this country.

[CrispyQ]

4. "Do the most harm." That's his motto.

I hate the fucker. Everyday I hope is his last day on this planet. Come on, Don, have a few more Big Macs, why don't you? ~insert flip-the-bird smilie here.

[iscooterliberally]

7. 'The hypocritic oath'

Trump is an abortion. I share in your loathing of this asshole.

[pandr32]

8. He does like to go big

Hopefully, his crash will be epic.

[CDerekGo]

5. I sincerely hope

That every single thing that dump has touched and harmed, is give the chance to re-grow and flourish. All of the BLM Lands, National Parks, National Forests that he's managed to lease/sell will be immediately halted.

I can only hope that Tongass National Forest in Alaska is saved before the actual destruction can begin. What's the saying "everything trump touches, dies?' He's slowly, but certainly doing it to our Nation.

[mr_lebowski]

6. Please, please, please ... let Trump drop dead of natural causes today ...

Thank You Jesus, and Thank You Lord, for hearing my prayer.

[2naSalit]

10. +++1

[in2herbs]

9. Not only is he destroying the land, I read the other week where the water to mix the

concrete for the wall was some astronomical number. AZ does not have water to spare. Starting in January our allotment from the Colorado will be reduced.

Ignoring the fact that we shouldn't have to be filing lawsuits to protect land we want to be protected, why didn't one or more of the environmental groups file a motion on this basis?

[Eugene]

11. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration's new policy and "take the land" and f**k the law.

And the Deplorable in Chief wasn't joking when he offered pardons to officials that break the law.

I've lost count of how many impeachable offenses he has committed.