Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bexar Tracks
species and habitat
Volume XXVI, No. 3 conservation and envi-
July-October 2008 ronmental education
in the community.
For the latest news & updates, see http://www.bexaraudubon.org & http://www.sa-naturecenter.org
and left again on Klink Ave. near the on Saturday. Look it up. It is beautiful.
Lumpe moved to Missouri last year, but
Map to Cowles Life Sciences Building, Trinity University, west of Highway 281 Weʼre proud of you, Jill!
A team at the Army Institute of Surgical
Research (BAMC burn center) has won
one of the Army’s “10 Great Inventions
Awards” for the year 2007. One of the
team members is Dr. Jill Sondeen, a
former Bexar Audubon board member
and Bexar Tracks editor.
Chapman
Nominations for the program were
Librar
more. As stated in
tion. Then BAS receives funding annually from AFT. Viesca St. From the
which would cut through the university added environmental benefit of reduc- work together, to find solutions that
campus, snubbing its mission of bina- ing transpiration and improving habitat. make us proud, that bring our people
tional education. UT Brownsville presi- Other technological and engineering closer together, and that serve as an
dent Juliet Garcia said, “Of course, we controls should also be tried. Initial prob- example for other borders in the world
believe in protecting our borders. Of lems shouldn’t terminate these efforts. that face similar problems.”
course, we believe in strong immigra-
tion policy. But we also understand that The Mexican government has inter- Solutions
a fence, no matter how high or how ests, too, in stemming the flow of $10 First: stop construction of the barrier now.
wide, is no substitute for either.” A billion in drug money and a substantial Second: reject one-size-fits-all thinking.
report to the judge is due July 31. number of high-powered firearms that Third: find a real solution that suits Texas
move south every year from the U.S. It and protects Texas wildlife.
While the entire UT Brownsville golf believes its efficiencies could be
course would fall on the Mexican side —Susan Hughes
improved if Mexican border technology
of the fence, the nearby private River were comparable to that on the U.S. Sources
Bend Resort and golf course falls at a side. “The Bush administration has re-
break in the barrier. So does selected • A Barrier to Our Shared Environment:
sponded with a proposed $500 million The United States-Mexico Border Fence.
other private property on the border. aid package to assist Mexican law
Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass and enforcement in its fight against the drug Proceedings of a workshop, May 3-4,
chair of the Texas Border Coalition, has cartels,” according to National Defense. 2007, at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte.
sought answers to such questions as [Nineteen essays by 55 recognized
how and why the fence route was cho- Questions experts from both countries.]
sen, but he claims to have received no • If Sabal Palm Center remained open www.ine.gob.mx/publicaciones/consulta
logical answers from DHS. on “the other” side of the fence, how Publicacion.html?id_pub=519
could you go to visit? Would you need • Audubon. Action alerts, fact sheets,
An Expensive Band-Aid® a passport to enter or return? articles, and other communications.
A January 2007 story from the • How could Audubon maintain staff on • Brezosky, Lynn. “Judge orders
Associated Press reported the the property? Who would mind the resumed border fence talks.” San
Congressional Budget Office’s cost gate? Who would have security codes? Antonio Express-News, July 1, 2008.
estimate of $3 million per mile, while If preserve managers had keys or codes, • Brown, Anne. Personal communica-
“the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would that put them in danger? tion. June 2008.
estimated a double-layer fence would • Defenders of Wildlife. “Border wall
cost a little over $1 million a mile, not • What happens in the case of fire? threatens refuge wildlife and South
including buying the land on which it Wild fires are not uncommon there.
Where’s the emergency access? Texas economy.” October 4, 2007.
would be built, according to the • del Bosque, Melissa. “Holes in the
Congressional Research Service. In • What’s to be done about the inevitable wall.” Texas Observer, February 22, 2008.
addition, maintenance could run from soil erosion on the flood plain? • “Lower Rio Grande Valley National
$16.4 million to $70 million a mile • How could school children enjoy field Wildlife Refuge, Texas” fact sheet.
over 25 years, the Corps said.” trips and gain environmental education? Defenders of Wildlife, 2008.
According to National Defense maga- • Magnuson, Stew. Cost of new border
zine, the life-cycle cost for the entire • Why would donors choose Sabal
proposed fence (California to Texas) Palm for their support? fencing could reach $47 billion.
could be as high as $47 billion. • Does the area between the barrier and National Defense, July 2008.
the river become, in fact, a “no-man’s- • __________. Contentious debate over
In Texas, 153 miles of fencing were border fences won’t end soon. National
planned to be built before the end of land”? A militarized zone? Mexico?
Defense, July 2008.
2008. That expanse alone would cost • If we follow the money, who stands to • Martin, Gary. “Border fence gets tacit
somewhere between $2.7 and $11.2 bil- gain? At the least—or most—consul- approval.” San Antonio Express-News,
lion over its proposed 25-year lifespan. tants and contractors tasked with con-
struction and maintenance. June 24, 2008.
For an environmental yardstick, $20 • Nijhuis, Michelle. “The border: no
billion is the projected cost to rehabili- Mexico & Texas Are Neighbors man’s land. Audubon, May-June 2008.
tate the Everglades. Then there’d even • “Texas border mayors: border fence
be $27 billion left over for maintenance. In May 2007, a binational technical- won’t go up.” Associated Press, January
scientific workshop was convened on
Does the fence actually solve a prob- the potential environmental impacts of 17, 2007.
lem or just throw money at a symptom? the border fence. Adrián Fernández
Presentation of the preceding opin-
Where To Put Your Money Bermauntz, president of Mexico’s ion piece is sponsored by Save the
National Institute of Ecology, wrote in Laja, Inc., a Texas 501(c)(3), formed
Think about the results of a few billion his introduction to the proceedings, A for the purpose of fostering watershed
dollars of economic development in Barrier to Our Shared Environment: and habitat protection in the Texas-
Texas border communities: schools and “The relationship between the United Central Mexico corridor.
day care, health programs, job training, States and Mexico has lived through The views expressed are those of the
infrastructure improvements. complex situations over the course of author, and not necessarily of Bexar
And, as Mayor Foster suggests, use history; nevertheless, most of the differ- Audubon Society or Save the Laja.
funds to eradicate—or at least con- Save the Laja has joined forces with
ences have been resolved through con- Bexar Audubon to increase knowledge
trol—invasive salt cedar (tamarisk) and structive and respectful dialogue. At the and understanding of corridor and bor-
Carrizo cane on the Rio Grande’s National Institute of Ecology, we believe der issues. Contact Save the Laja at
banks, reducing cover and hiding places that the issue of the border fence should 825 E. Guenther St., San Antonio, TX
for those attempting to enter illegally not be the exception. Let us give our 78210-1237. Contributions are tax-
by crossing the river. This has the experts and our institutions the chance to deductible and welcomed.
Wild! Wednesdays
Association. 8pm.
564-6400.
Texas leads the nation in wind September 17—Upper Cibolo Creek
power development according to the Workshop I: “What makes a healthy
Extraordinary Experiences in Nature! American Wind Energy Association. creek?” 9am-12:30pm. Non-mem-
A familiy-oriented program targeting With four of the five largest U.S. wind bers $20. Registration recommend-
ages 7–11. $3/class, maximum farms now located in Texas, it is nec- ed; class size limited.
$6/family/class. essary to study the impact on
wildlife, particularly: September 30—Upper Cibolo Creek
Friedrich Wilderness Park—21395 Workshop II: “Is the water clean?”
Milsa. Contact Peggy Spring, 210- • bat populations and movements; 9am-12:30-pm. See above.
564-6402, or e-mail • waterfowl movements and survival
NOTE: If you change address or cancel membership, you do NOT need to contact Bexar Audubon but MUST contact
National Audubon (and we will automatically get the change when we download labels). Save time and energy by mailing
your change of address information to National Audubon Society, Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO
80322-2529; phoning 1-800-274-4201; or e-mailing CHADD@audubon.org.