Over 140 businesses in Texas are asking Republican leaders at the state and federal levels to oppose the proposal to build steel border barriers close to river access points in Big Bend National Park, stating that the project might seriously harm the area’s tourism economy and put the livelihoods of local workers and business owners at risk.
On Tuesday, the businesses wrote to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and to U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz asking them to safeguard the public’s access to the Rio Grande and to take action against the federal plans for constructing things in the national park.
The signatories are comprised of river outfitters, recreation companies, tourism organisations, lodging operators, and other businesses which place a great deal of reliance on visitors going to the Big Bend area. They claim that the proposed barriers, roads, and the associated infrastructure might prevent access to the popular sections of the Rio Grande and make commercial and recreational river activities more difficult or impossible.
Owners of businesses state that the problem involves more than just access to a scenic area; for many of the communities in west Texas, recreation on the river is a major source of economic income and supports hotels, restaurants, tour operators, gas stations, retail stores, and other local services.
According to businesses, the regional tourism industry associated with Big Bend National Park generates approximately $63.7 million in annual economic activity. Restricting access to the Rio Grande could reduce visitor spending and place dozens of local businesses at financial risk.
Billy Bartko, who owns the Far Flung Outdoor Center in Terlingua, stated that for many generations residents have based their businesses and their way of life on the river. He cautioned that although federal authorities may regard the project as yet another construction venture, the local communities see it as a direct threat to their survival.
The companies in question are especially worried about the intention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to put up permanent barriers and build roads in the canyon corridor. They claim that the project might result in a permanent change to one of the nation’s most highly regarded wilderness areas and will at the same time reduce the chances of people engaging in rafting, canoeing, kayaking and guided river trips.
They also doubted if the barriers would offer a real advantage to border security.
There has been no recent evidence of unauthorized vehicle crossings into the national park, and since several of the proposed sites for construction are said to have no vehicle access from the Mexican side of the border, doubts have been raised as to why steel barriers should be installed there.
The Big Bend Border Patrol Sector includes about 517 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and thus covers over one-fourth of the total international boundary. Yet, although the area it covers is large, it was responsible for only around 1.3% of all border apprehensions the previous year.
Inside Big Bend National Park the figure was even smaller, making up about 0.045% of all apprehensions. The local businesses used these figures as proof that the proposed project might be disproportionate to the level of border activity taking place within the park.
Concerns grew following the waiver being issued by the Department of Homeland Security on June 9, which suspended a number of laws relating to the environment, public health, and the protection of cultural resources in order to speed up the construction.
The companies state that this was the first instance of such waivers having been given in connection with a construction project within a national park.
The letter requested that the Texas authorities should campaign for the withdrawal of those waivers and for the reestablishment of the legal protections at both the federal, state and local levels within Big Bend National Park. Owners of businesses stated that the laws are needed in order to protect the park’s environment, its wildlife, its cultural resources and its long-term tourism value.
The campaign’s supporters emphasized that border security and environmental protection need not be seen as conflicting priorities. They contend that it is possible for officials to enhance security without obstructing access to the river, without harming local businesses, or without causing permanent damage to the natural landscape.
The figures relating to tourism show the extent to which the nearby area relies on the park.
In 2024 the visitors to Big Bend National Park amounted to 561,459 and they spent an estimated $56.8 million in the adjacent communities, thus contributing approximately $63.7 million to the total regional economic output.
The money spent supports a great many local businesses since tourists arrange room bookings for hotels and vacation rentals, buy food, fill their cars with fuel, hire river guides and purchase supplies from local stores.
Sara Ryza from the Big Bend Tourism Alliance stated that almost every aspect of the regional economy derives advantage from outdoor recreation; she also cautions that restricting access to the Rio Grande and harming some of the park’s most popular areas could have a direct effect on the businesses and communities which rely on tourism.
For local operators the campaign is more than just a matter of protecting a recreational facility; it is about keeping jobs, family-run businesses and an economic system which has grown up around the natural environment of West Texas.
The companies are now asking Abbott, Cornyn and Cruz to take action before the construction starts and before the proposed barriers result in irreversible damage to Big Bend National Park and the surrounding economy.
They argue that it is possible to achieve the protection of the border without giving up public access to the rivers, the local way of life, and one of Texas’s most important natural landscapes.
Source: San Antonio Current
Author: Stephanie Koithan
Original Link: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/more-than-140-businesses-ask-texas-republicans-to-halt-big-bend-border-wall-construction/
