Today the Bush / Cheney administration announced that it will waive environmental and land management laws along 47o miles of the U.S. and Mexico border.  The plan they have to “ensure national security” involves putting up a fence along the border, part of which will run through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.  A federal court had previously ruled to suspend the fence construction, but Michael Chertoff, the homeland security officer, isn’t going to let a little old federal court get in his way.  He has waived environmental, cultural and numerous other laws in three seperate instances to allow border wall construction through fragile habitat.  Ironically, Secretary Chertoff himself has acknowledged the border wall’s inherent failures, yet still chose to bypass national laws to move forward with the administrations flawed plan.

Is it too much to ask the Dept. of Homeland Security and other government agencies to comply with our nations laws, especially when the environment is such an issue right now?  The San Pedro River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in the southwestern United States, and one of the few perennial streams flowing from the mountains of Mexico into the United States.  Natural beauty and diverse wildlife attract visitors from around the globe and the conservation area is one of America’s most unique and biologically diverse areas.   The San Pedro region has been designated as a World Heritage Natural Area by the United Nations World Heritage Program.

Please call your state representatives and urge them to do what they can.

This message is taken from the Defenders of Wildlife - just read as if from a script - I did it!

“My name is (your name) and I’m calling from Los Angeles to voice my shock and outrage about the Bush Administration’s announcement today that it will waive important environmental and land use laws along 470 miles of the U.S./Mexico border.

This flagrant abuse of power threatens border communities and wildlife. I urge you to do everything in your power to challenge this awful decision.”

Diane E. Watson - (202) 225-7084 or (323) 965-1422
Barbara Boxer - (202) 224-3553 or (559) 497-5109
Dianne Feinstein - (202) 224-3841 or (415) 393-0707

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