Friday, October 27, 2006
Bush and his Great Wall
President Bush has signed a law authorizing the US government to build 700 miles of fencing in Texas and three other states to prevent illegal immigration from Mexico. Whether you agree with the intent or not, environmentalists and outdoor travel groups are warning that a fence near the Rio Grande in Texas will affect several tourism resources. Approximately 125 million dollars of tourism monies could impact the economic resources for wildlife and ecotourism in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Nancy Millar, vice president of McAllen's Convention and Visitor's Bureau uses the word, "devastation" in describing the economic impact.
Farmer, Fred Schuster, also doubts the wisdom of building a fence along the Rio Grande. "Fences along the river don't do well. When we have a lot of rain and the river rises ... it pretty well washes anything downriver," said Schuster, age 54, who was raised on his family's 3,000-acre farm on the river near San Juan.
Birding enthusiasts will be saddened by the impact as a chain of wildlife reserves and nature parks will be profoundly impacted by the fencing. Oliver Bernstein, a Sierra Club spokesman in Austin, said a border fence could cause "unnecessary, serious harm to precious natural areas and disrupt critical wildlife corridors." Bernstein also raises concerns over the lower Rio Grande's wildlife.
Manager, Jimmy Paz of the 557-acre Sabal Palm Audobon Sanctuary on the river below Brownsville relates,"If they do build it, the biggest concern is getting water and keeping the area pristine for wildlife," explaining the reserve has several lakes filled with water pumped from the Rio Grande. Natural drainage could be blocked and keep the refuge staff from pumps on the river.
Keep these concerns in mind when you question how our country will address the immigration issue.
Farmer, Fred Schuster, also doubts the wisdom of building a fence along the Rio Grande. "Fences along the river don't do well. When we have a lot of rain and the river rises ... it pretty well washes anything downriver," said Schuster, age 54, who was raised on his family's 3,000-acre farm on the river near San Juan.
Birding enthusiasts will be saddened by the impact as a chain of wildlife reserves and nature parks will be profoundly impacted by the fencing. Oliver Bernstein, a Sierra Club spokesman in Austin, said a border fence could cause "unnecessary, serious harm to precious natural areas and disrupt critical wildlife corridors." Bernstein also raises concerns over the lower Rio Grande's wildlife.
Manager, Jimmy Paz of the 557-acre Sabal Palm Audobon Sanctuary on the river below Brownsville relates,"If they do build it, the biggest concern is getting water and keeping the area pristine for wildlife," explaining the reserve has several lakes filled with water pumped from the Rio Grande. Natural drainage could be blocked and keep the refuge staff from pumps on the river.
Keep these concerns in mind when you question how our country will address the immigration issue.
# posted by W.E.T. River Trips - raftWET.com @ 4:42 PM 
