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Border Wall Construction Threatens Arizona Trail
Border wall construction and new access road in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced their plans to move forward with 74 miles of border barrier projects in Arizona, including construction of 30-foot-tall steel barriers through the Huachuca Mountains within Coronado National Memorial. The project would significantly impact the southern terminus of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, transform the landscape and its visual resources, and forever alter the Arizona Trail experience. The Arizona Trail Association (ATA) is calling for CBP to immediate halt to all planning and preparation for the project, and is requesting that you contact your senators before May 15, 2020.
 
“The southern terminus of the Arizona National Scenic Trail is one of the most significant locations along the entire 800-mile trail,” said ATA Executive Director Matthew Nelson. “This is where the Arizona Trail begins, and where the dream of the Arizona Trail was born over 30 years ago. It has significant recreational value and a strong emotional connection for anyone who has ever completed the Arizona Trail. This location was intentionally selected as the cornerstone of the Arizona Trail because of its wild and scenic nature, and its historic significance – this is where Francisco Vázquez de Coronado first crossed into present-day Arizona. We are calling on everyone who loves the Arizona Trail to demand it be spared from the border wall.”
         AZT Southern Terminus                        Other Border Monument and Wall

The proposed project includes 30-foot-tall steel barriers, the installation of a linear ground detection system, road construction, and the installation of lighting, which will be supported by grid power and embedded cameras.
 
“When Congress designated the Arizona Trail a National Scenic Trail in 2009, it was supposed to be protected in perpetuity from these types of impacts,” said Nelson. “If this project moves forward, the National Trails System Act will be the 42nd law waived to allow construction of the wall, along with the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, to name just a few.”

In addition to impacts to the Arizona Trail (a pillar of Arizona’s $21 billion outdoor recreation economy), a border barrier in Southern Arizona’s Sky Islands would bisect critical habitat for endangered jaguars and ocelots, and effectively end jaguar recovery efforts in the United States. “Wildlife are a vital part of the trail experience, and we are proud that numerous threatened and endangered species have been documented on the Arizona Trail,” said Nelson.

          Jaguar documented in the borderlands with remote sensor camera

CBP is accepting public comments via email through May 15 at TucsonComments@cbp.dhs.gov. We are encouraging outreach to Arizona Senators Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema before the May 15 deadline.
As our nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, all available federal resources should be spent saving lives and supporting American families and businesses, not on costly and ineffective border barriers. Government reports show that border walls are expensive, ineffective and unproven at deterring crossers, especially in remote regions like Arizona's Sky Islands. Congress understands these facts and has refused to give the Department of Homeland Security more funding for this purpose. Yet, resources have been diverted from the United States military to move projects like this forward without public input or Congressional oversight.
 
Can we count on you to contact your Senators today?
The future of the Arizona Trail depends on it.
Copyright © 2020 Arizona Trail Association. All rights reserved.

Arizona Trail Association
738 N. 5th Avenue, Suite 201
Tucson, Arizona 85705
www.aztrail.org

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