Borderlands event in Austin March 4

Please join with some of Austin's finest bands in supporting the Sierra Club's Borderlands Team on Sunday, March 4, from 4pm - 7pm, at the 29th Street Ballroom (next to Spiderhouse Cafe on the University of Texas campus). Along with live music from Designer Genes and BitterHeaRt Society they will screen the short Sierra Club documentary Wild vs. Wall, which shows the damage dome by border walls in Texas and along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Admission is free; donations for the Borderlands Team are welcome.

Unchecked by environmental protections, the walls that began in California’s borderlands now extend over 600 miles, inflicting tremendous damage upon many sensitive ecosystems. In Texas the walls that slice through the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge have fragmented habitat that is critical for the survival of endangered ocelots. In Arizona the border walls that cross washes and streams in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument have caused severe erosion and flooding. Border walls built in New Mexico’s Playas Valley block the movement of one of the last wild herds of bison, whose range straddles the U.S. – Mexico border. And wall construction in California's Otay Mountain Wilderness Area has involved dynamiting steep mountainsides, sending hundreds of thousands of tons of rock into the Tijuana River below.

The Sierra Club's Borderlands Team is working to prevent further walls and greater destruction along both borders. It is trying to head off legislation that would call for hundreds of miles of new border walls, or waive environmental and other laws along both the northern and southern borders. And the Team is pushing for the Department of Homeland Security to mitigate some portion of the damage that their actions have already inflicted.

Please come out to the 29th Street Ballroom on March 4, and show your support for local music and for our borderlands.

Directions: http://www.spiderhousecafe.com/contact/spider-house-cafe.html

Border Wall Film Festival in Austin August 18

Austin Border Film Festival
Violet Crown Cinema * 434 W 2nd Street, Austin, TX
Thursday, August 18th, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join the Sierra Club's Borderlands Team Thursday, August 18th for a free screening of 3 short documentaries that explore the issues and controversies surrounding the recently constructed U.S./México border wall

-Featuring Three Documentary Films and a short discussion to follow-

• Fencing the Border and its Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s gives an inside perspective on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s concerns about the wall's possible effects on wildlife and protected refuges in south Texas – 7 minutes.

• Wild vs. Wall, Sierra Club’s produced by Tucson filmmaker Steev Hise, is an overview of the environmental effects of current border policies, including insightful interviews and impressive footage demonstrating the long-term ecological effects of border infrastructure – 20 minutes.

• The Fence, Award-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy’s HBO documentary features candid interviews with Border Patrol agents, ranchers, environmentalists and voices from both sides of the border security debate. Kennedy uses humor to highlight contradictions and politically-driven misinformation, as well as the ineffectiveness and costliness of the controversial border barrier – 30 minutes.

Admission is FREE
Donations to the Sierra Club Borderlands Protection Campaign gladly accepted at the door.

This film festival is dedicated to the memory of long time borderista Mary Grisco

Write your member of Congress - Oppose HR 1505

An assault on America's public lands and environmental laws has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, bearing the ironic name "National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act" (HR 1505).

Over 30 federal protection laws would be waived in a zone that extends 100 miles into the United States from all land borders and coasts. Roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population lives in the area targeted by this waiver. Cities from San Francisco to Boston and national parks from Glacier to Everglades could be put at risk.

And if that weren't enough, HR 1505 prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, which oversee our national parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges, from taking any actions to preserve the natural integrity of the lands that they oversee if their actions or advice conflict with the desires of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).





HR 1505 is using national security as a cover to attack environmental laws and protected lands. DHS has not expressed a need for these harmful provisions. In fact, DHS testifies that public land managers are not getting in the way of their operations. Last October, the Government Accountability Office found that "most [Border Patrol] agents reported that land management laws have had no effect on Border Patrol's overall measure of border security."

Visit the Sierra Club page to send an email to your member of Congress, telling them to oppose HR 1505:

https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6239

Border Film Festival in Tucson Dec. 11

Border Film Festival
The Loft Cinema
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Address:
3233 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85716

If you'd like to attend this event you can RSVP online.

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Calendar?id=148602&view=Detail

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation caused by U.S.-Mexico border policy. The most destructive component is the newly constructed border wall. More than 600 miles of walls have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems.

The wall also has a human toll. The border wall reroutes migrants into the remote deserts of Arizona where dehydration and exposure are rampant. As a result, the number of border-crossing deaths has more than doubled since 1995.

Join us at this film festival to learn more and to find out what you can do to help.

Admission is FREE!!

Sponsored by Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, Defenders of Wildlife, No More Deaths, and Sky Island Alliance.

http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Wild Versus Wall: The environmental impact of our border policy

Monday, November 29 · 7:00pm - 8:30pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Andrew United Methodist Church
3350 White Bay Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO

a free screening of Sierra Club's documentary Wild Versus Wall in Highlands Ranch, CO!

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation being caused by harmful U.S border and trade policies. The most symbolic and destructive infrastructure resulting from these bad policies is the newly-constructed U.S.-Mexico border wall. Over 600 miles of border wall have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexi...co, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems found within Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges, National Monuments and National Forests, and other protected private and public lands.

This presentation begins with a screening of the Sierra Club border film, "Wild Versus Wall," which has been newly-updated for 2010. It shows the ecological effects of enforcement and infrastructure in the four states that share boundaries with Mexico. It also showcases the unique natural landscapes of our border southwest. The film demonstrates the ineffectiveness of this kind of enforcement-only approach to border security, and stresses the importance of addressing root causes such as unfair trade policies and quality of life issues.

Following the film, Dan Millis, Borderlands Campaign Organizer for Arizona’s Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, will present a slideshow featuring more in-depth aspects of the areas that have been affected, different types of border wall, and its costs to taxpayers.

Born and raised in Arizona, Dan has worked on border issues there since 2005. He is also a volunteer with the border humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, and is the recipient of the 2010 Derechos Humanos Corazon de Justicia Award for environmental work.

To learn more about the Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign and take action, check out their website at: http://www.sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign: Continental Divide, a Photo Exhibit of the Border

November 2-5, 2010
Cabot Lodge, 2375 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi
Located at State Street and Riverside Drive
Free!

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation being caused by harmful U.S border and trade policies. The most symbolic and destructive infrastructure resulting from these bad policies is the newly-constructed U.S.-Mexico border wall. Over 600 miles of border wall have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems found within Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges; National Monuments and National Forests; and other protected lands, both public and private.

Recently, the International League of Conservation Photographers sent a team of world-renowned photographers to the borderlands of the United States and Mexico to document the wildlife, ecology, and effect of the border wall on this landscape. This region is a shared conservation treasure of international importance that harbors some of the most biodiverse landscapes on the continent. Many species here are found nowhere else in the US, and nowhere else in Mexico and some are found nowhere else on Earth. The photographs taken are now on exhibit, touring the United States. A sample of photos in the exhibit can be viewed here.

The Borderlands Team of the Sierra Club is bringing this exhibit to Jackson, Mississippi. The team is comprised of Sierra Club staff and volunteers from across the nation. You can learn more about the team by visiting and joining the Activist Network or by visiting www.sierraclub.org/borderlands.

Dates exhibit is open for viewing:
Tue Nov 2 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Wed Nov 3 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Thu Nov 4 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Fri Nov 5* 9am - 9pm

* Join us for a screening of the Sierra Club produced film, Wild Versus Wall, at 5:15 pm on Friday, November 5th. The film details the ecological effects of enforcement and infrastructure in all four southern Border States. The film demonstrates the ineffectiveness of this kind of enforcement-only approach to border security, and stresses the importance of addressing root causes such as unfair trade policies. A five minute trailer for the film can be viewed here. Refreshments will be provided for the screening!

The Exhibit is being held in conjunction with the Unity Conference sponsored by MIRA and SCLC.

For more information about the Sierra Club's Borderlands Campaign, visit http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Sierra Club screening Wild vs. Wall in San Diego August 21

The Sierra Club’s Borderlands Team will be screening the film Wild vs. Wall in San Diego at the Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center on Saturday, August 21, beginning at 7:30pm. Wild vs. Wall is a 20 minute documentary about the environmental effects of the border wall.

Dan Millis, who works for the Sierra Club out of Tucson, will speak after the film and answer any questions. He has extensive knowledge of the southern Arizona borderlands and the environmental and human impacts of enforcement measures border-wide.

More than 600 miles of border walls and barriers have been constructed in all four southern border states. Using the power to waive laws granted by the Real ID Act, 36 federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, have been brushed aside to speed up construction. Border walls have been built through National Monuments and Wildlife Refuges, state parklands, and Nature Conservancy and Audubon sanctuaries. Wall construction has involved the condemnation and bulldozing of thousands of acres, the fragmentation of crucial habitat for endangered species, the triggering of flooding, and large-scale erosion. Border walls have also led to the deaths of thousands of immigrants by funneling them into remote, and often deadly, terrain.

Wild vs. Wall
Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center
1220 Cleveland Avenue
Suite M-100
San Diego, CA 92103

For directions and information on parking, visit http://joycebeers.com/

For those unable to attend, Wild vs. Wall can be viewed on the Borderlands Team’s website, http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/ , where you can also tour the border using Google Earth, get more information about the border wall’s impacts, learn about the Real ID Act, and find out how you can help.

Community Forum Against the Border Wall in Weslaco, Texas June 26

Thursday, June 26
7:00 pm
South Texas College, WeslacoBuilding G
Weslaco, Texas

Speakers include:

Meredith Linsky: Immigration attorney in Harlingen specializing in deportation defenseMartin Hagne: Environmental advocate, Executive Director of the Valley Nature Center

Disregarding all opposition, the Department of Homeland Security plans to begin construction of the Border Wall in Hidalgo County on July 25, 2008. Immigrant rights activists, environmentalists, labor rights fighters, and other concerned citizens who believe in human rights are planning this forum to educate, discuss and, most importantly, build opposition to the border wall, which is against the will and interests of the people of the Rio Grande Valley.

The Border Wall is immoral, racist, repressive, and threatens the natural environment for people and wildlife. It also threatens the cultural environment; the militarization of the border has social implications throughout the United States and internationally. The choice to begin rapid construction on the Wall and to waive environmental and all other legal protections, potentially weakens the structural integrity of the regional levee system during hurricane season, threatening to create a Hurricane Katrina-type catastrophe. We are holding this forum in conjunction with a series of public rallies and events to broaden opposition to the Wall. This will allow the community to become better informed about the real stakes in this struggle, to hold our elected officials and so-called “representatives” accountable, and to allow a public arena for discussion, debate, outrage and planning action. Come to the forum and share your ideas, opinions, questions, and thoughts.

For more information, call (956)246-8193 or e-mail standinsolidarity@yahoo.com.

Call for Public Comments on Whether the Border Wall and Wildlife Refuges are Compatible

Comments are being accepted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service regarding surveying activities on Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge tracts. A survey for natural resources and a survey for cultural resources will be conducted in preparation for building a border wall on at least 14 separate refuge tracts. USFWS is preparing documents that will determine whether these activities are compatible with their mission. It is important that everyone who is concerned about the construction of the border wall submit a comment to USFWS. Please send your comments via email or US mail by November 19, 2007!

Here are a few ways to guide your comments:

· According to US Fish and Wildlife regulations (603 FW 2), “The refuge manager will not initiate or permit a new use of a national wildlife refuge or expand, renew, or extend an existing use of a national wildlife refuge unless the refuge manager has determined that the use is a compatible use.” It goes on to say, “Fragmentation of the National Wildlife Refuge System's wildlife habitats is a direct threat to the integrity of the National Wildlife Refuge System, both today and in the decades ahead. Uses that we reasonably may anticipate to reduce the quality or quantity or fragment habitats on a national wildlife refuge will not be compatible.” As the intent of these surveys is to pave the way for the construction of border walls which will seriously degrade and fragment the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, they are incompatible with the mission of the Refuge.

· We have no faith in the utility and impartiality of the survey process. The private corporation in charge of conducting the surveys, Engineering-Environmental Management, Inc. (E²M), has a vested interest in expediting the construction of the border walls to please their client, the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, E²M has already mismanaged the public comment period of the Rio Grande Valley EIS, allowing technical difficulties with both the official website and the posted fax number to interfere with the acceptance of public comments for several days of the already EIS short comment period. E²M should not be in charge of this vitally important surveying task. It should instead be carried out by local US Fish and Wildlife biologists who are familiar with the natural and cultural resources that are present in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

· The USFWS has expressed concerns that there will not be enough refuge staff to properly oversee survey activities. We share these concerns; there should be USFWS oversight for all activities.

· The natural resource survey is further compromised by its limited duration. E²M employees will only spend 10 days surveying the natural resources in the wall’s path. That is utterly insufficient. Endangered species are by definition extremely rare, and sightings of migratory species are dependent on the time of year, so the odds of seeing one during any 10 day period are next to nothing. If they fail to see a particular endangered or migratory animal during their brief visit the final report may give the false impression that they are not present and will not be impacted by the wall.

· The cultural resource survey contains a troubling provision for backhoe trenching up to 33 ft deep in areas that have a high probability of cultural resources. This is listed as a “last option,” but it should not be allowed at all. Not only would such an activity be incompatible with the environmental mission of the refuge, it would likely destroy the very cultural resources that are being documented.

Please send comments to:

Refuge Manager
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR
Rt. 2 Box 202A
Alamo, TX 78516

Or email Bryan_Winton@fws.gov (Subject line: Draft Compatibility Determinations: Border Fence)

Email Congress - Cut Off Funding for the Border Wall

Click HERE to go to the Democratic Courage website to send an email to your members of Confress urging them to cut off funding for the Border Wall and to support the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that he is going to waive 18 laws including the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Clean Water Act so he can build a wall between Arizona and Mexico in the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area, allegedly to keep out illegal immigrants. The wall won't work to stop anyone with a ladder, or anyone who just overstays their visa, but it will mean death for endangered species of the Southwest like the ocelot, jaguar, and Sonoran Pronghorn Antelope. Contact your member of Congress today and ask them to cut off funding for the border wall and cosponsor the Borderlands Security and Conservation Act. Feel free to add your own text.

To learn more about Chertoff's latest waiver of federal laws, visit the No Border Wall blog.

Take Action! Comment on the Environmental Impact Statement for the Rio Grande Border Wall.

Comments about the construction of border walls in Texas are being accepted as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). “Environmental Impact” includes the impact on the human environment, as well as on wildlife and the quality of water and air. It is important that we raise all of our concerns during this time.

Please write, fax or e-mail your comments in by October 15, 2007.

Here are a few ways to focus your comments:

Destruction of wildlife habitat. The lower Rio Grande Valley has already been cleared of 95% of the brush. In an area considered one of the most biologically diverse in North America, any additional destruction of brush, including clearing 508 acres for construction of the wall, will have severe consequences for wildlife. How will wildlife survive with their habitat limited by a wall? How will they get to and from the river, find food, shelter, and potential mates in habitat dissected by a wall? In some cases like Starr County, the Rio Grande is the only source of water for wildlife. Any animal that encounters miles of wall will have to travel long distances for a very basic necessity, water.

Endangered & rare species. The ocelot, jaguarundi and red-billed pigeon currently face the real possibility of extinction or extirpation. These are just a few of the endangered and rare species whose U.S. populations would certainly collapse with construction of the wall. The ability of rare species like the ocelot and jaguarundi to cross into Mexico helps keep wildlife populations healthy by maintaining a level of genetic integrity. Reduction of gene flow among or within populations will reduce the likelihood of long-term survival of these species. . A formal Section 7 Consultation under the Endangered Species Act needs to be done.

Violation of International Migratory Bird Treaty. If construction of the wall takes place during the spring, as stated in the Federal Register, many migratory and nesting birds will be affected. The clearing of brush will destroy thousands of nests, many with young birds in them. This is in direct violation of the International Migratory Bird Treaty.

Impact of construction. What will be the impacts of construction? Of roads for vehicles and heavy equipment? Of lighting and transmission lines?

Economic impact. Access will be cut off for wildlife enthusiasts interested in wildlife watching, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking along the river. Eco-tourism brings more than $125 million to the RGV annually from 200,000 eco-tourists, creating 2,500 jobs in the local economy. What are the economic impacts of limiting access to refuges, state parks, and other public and private parks and natural areas?

Community impact. A wall could mean uprooting families from their homes and demolishing or cutting off access to historical buildings and community centers. How many people will lose their homes? What buildings will be destroyed? How will property owners gain access to their land? What will the presence of a wall do to property values? How will there be public access to cemeteries and historical and archaeological sites along the river? Will there be access in case of fire or other emergencies on the other side of the fence?

Impact on agriculture. Farming is still the backbone of the economy in the Rio Grande Valley. How much agricultural land will be taken out of production by the wall? How will farmers gain access to their land? To their pumps and irrigation equipment? How will they bring farm equipment onto farmland behind a wall?

Impact on flood control. All the walled areas are in a floodplain. Has the Army Corps or DHS coordinated with FEMA? How will the wall affect the flood control levees? Will the IBWC have access to the levees and input in the construction? Will future widening of the levees result in even more habitat loss on the south side (since the wall is on the north side)?

Relations with Mexico and the rest of the world. Mexico will perceive the border wall as an insult. How will this affect the bi-national relations and cooperation? How will the border wall affect US relations with other countries and its standing in the world? What kind of example is the US setting of a free and open democratic society?

Alternatives to a physical wall. According to the National Environmental Policy Act, alternatives to projects must be explored. What are the comparative costs and impacts of alternatives to a border wall such as "virtual fencing," more boots on the ground, and comprehensive immigration reform?

Problems with the EIS. The EIS is geographically too limited. The EIS should look at total and cumulative impacts into the future. What about the impacts in other areas where a wall is proposed? How will the impacts of this initial proposed fencing change if the total amount of fencing called for by the Secure Fence Act is installed? What will be the environmental impacts of future needs of the wall such as maintenance and lighting?

Inadequate public comment period. The public comment period is less than thirty days. For a project of this magnitude, the public comment period should be extended. In addition, the website that was created to facilitate public comment has been been offline more than it has been up. This makes it difficult to access maps and other information, as well as preventing the public from using the coment feature on the site.


Submit your comments to Customs & Border Patrol by one of the following methods:

~ E-mail: RGVcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com

~ Mail:
Rio Grande Valley Tactical Infrastructure EIS
C/O e2M
2751 Prosperity Avenue, Ste. 200
Fairfax, Virginia 22031

~ Fax: (757)282-7697

~ Electronically: www.BorderFenceNEPA.com (This website was removed on
Friday, September 28 and may or may not be up again.)

** Be sure to include you name, address and identify your comments as for the RGV Sector EIS.**


The deadline for public comments is October 15, 2007!