Trump's border wall would slice through wildlife refuges and cut off U.S. territory in Texas

[highplainsdem]

Source: WP

On dusty land in Mission, Tex., near the Mexican border, Marianna Trevino Wright recently took a walk with a contractor. She was showing off her effort to turn the earth surrounding the National Butterfly Center into “an oasis for butterflies,” she said — with 10,000 native milkweed plants that a dwindling number of monarch butterflies use as habitat in their arduous and yearly migration from Mexico and across the United States to Canada.

But the yellow that caught her eye that day wasn’t the fluttering wings of butterflies. It was heavy machinery that mows vegetation, said Wright, executive director of the butterfly reserve. And men were taking soil samples on the center’s property. “I said, ‘Hey guys what you’re doing?’ They said, ‘Working.’ I said, ‘On what?’ They said, ‘Clearing the land.’ I said, ‘You mean my land.’ They said, ‘We’re going to have to call our supervisor.’”

The Department of Homeland Security sought a waiver from environmental regulations this month to build a section of border wall near San Diego. But 1,500 miles away in Texas, the Trump administration is working on another section that could block migrating butterflies and cut across the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most treasured spots for birdwatching in the country and a “crown jewel” in the federal refuge system. Wright unknowingly walked right into that effort.

-snip-

Wright hoped the contractor could expand the center’s monarch butterfly habitat as part of $400,000 project, but now much of the land it owns could end up behind the wall — which in many places does not follow the international border. “For us, it’s 70 acres,” she said. “Two-thirds of our property and a significant portion of America will wind up behind the border wall. About four percent of our native wildlife will be trapped behind the border wall.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/07/trumps-border-wall-would-slice-through-wildlife-refuges-and-cut-off-u-s-territory-in-texas/

[Girard442]

1. Not a big fan of George S. Patton, but...

Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.

[LanternWaste]

4. He didn't take his own advice.

On the other hand, Patton both attacked and was rebuffed by fixed fortifications during the Vosges Campaign as he struggled through the Moselle Line, continuing the offensive time after time until he finally came to his senses, took his own advice and bypassed the forts only after three weeks of fruitless attacks.

[jpak]

2. Texas birders will not be pleased

nope

[gfwzig]

3. I guess there are some things good about the wall, blocking tRump supporters land is karma

[Doreen]

5. Hell, don't want them migrants here so you just give them the land.

Makes so much sense.....not!! This wall ( dictator ) is so bloody stupid.