Don't Sacrifice Wildlife to Secure the Border

  • by: Care2.com
  • recipient: U.S. House of Representatives
Over a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border lies within public lands that endangered and threatened species like ocelots, jaguars and wolves need to survive. This includes hundreds of miles within the National Park system alone, running through such national treasures as Big Bend National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Border security enforcement activities both place a tremendous burden on federal land management agencies and cause lasting damage to wildlife and habitat. We don't have to sacrifice our wildlife to protect our borders. Urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act of 2007 (H.R. 2593) to help alleviate the harmful impacts of border enforcement activities on public lands, wildlife and borderland communities.
Dear Representative,

As a voter who is concerned about both border security and wildlife conservation, I strongly urge you to co-sponsor the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act of 2007 (H.R. 2593), introduced by Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva.

H.R 2593 would amend existing immigration and border security laws, including the Secure Fence Act and REAL ID Act, to help protect public lands, wildlife and borderland communities from the devastating impacts of border enforcement.

Over a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border lies within public lands that jaguars, ocelots, Sonoran pronghorns, burrowing owls and other imperiled species need to survive. In fact, the border patrol estimates that there are 39 species protected or proposed to be protected under the Endangered Species Act in the area near the Arizona-Mexico border alone.
I am particularly concerned about the potential impact of border walls on imperiled wildlife. H.R. 2593 would require that the Department of Homeland Security consult with local officials and land mangers to determine the effect that a wall will have on the communities and wildlife in the area before constructing a fence and, if necessary, allow the department to explore other options.

H.R. 2593 would also require compliance with laws meant to protect the air, water, wildlife, culture and the health and safety of people in borderland communities, and fund initiatives that help reduce damage to borderland wildlife and resources.

We don't have to sacrifice our wildlife to protect our borders. I strongly encourage you to help protect our precious border wildlife by co-sponsoring H.R. 2593.
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.