Big Bend Border Wall Conference in Alpine, TX - May 17th

ReViva Collective is hosting a Big Bend Border Wall Conference in Alpine, TX Saturday May 17th at the Alpine Civic Center, 801 W. Holland, from 9:00am until 6:00pm. For more information contact ReViva Collective at revivacollective@ gmail.com or 432-837-5736.

The purpose of the Big Bend Border Wall Conference is to bring together perspectives and information about the construction of the Texas-Mexico border wall, as defined by the Secure Fence Act. Conference speakers will include Dr. Mark Saka who will be speak on the the Economic and Social Origins of Increased Mexican Migration to the United States, Border Patrol Chief John Sietana and Deputy Carry Huffman who will give a presentation on the proposed plan for the border wall in the Marfa sector, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who will be available to advise landowners, Enrique Madrid who will present a discussion on the militarization of the border, Nat Stone who will speak on how inequitable water distribution between the United States and Mexico has compromised Mexican ranching and agriculture, and consequently reduced security on both sides of the border, and Bill Addington who will speak on environmental issues and the importance of community organization. In addition, two organized strategy planning sessions will be held along with a screening offootage documenting the history of the border wall and the people resisting it. There will also be a puppet show and a wall shaped pinata!

Submit Comments on New Border Walls in San Diego, El Paso, Tucson, Yuma, and Marfa

Ignoring the growing opposition to the construction of walls along the border, DHS Secretary Chertoff is pushing for hundreds of miles to be built in 2008. This despite the fact that Chertoff himself said back in July,

"Fencing is not the cure-all for the problem at the border. I think the fence has come to assume a certain kind of symbolic significance which should not obscure the fact that it is a much more complicated problem than putting up a fence which someone can climb over with a ladder or tunnel under with a shovel.”

Instead of searching for substantive solutions to border issues, Chertoff is plowing ahead with the hollow symbol of the wall. To quickly lay the groundwork the Department of Homeland Security has once again hired a private contractor, e2M, to sell the wall. In the past month they have issued a steady stream of reports that are intended to give the impression that the environmental and societal impacts of the wall have been thoroughly evaluated, and that the National Environmental Policy Act is being complied with. One of the requirements of NEPA is public input and openness, so brief public comment periods have been established for each sector's report. It is vital that they hear from us, as our comments will become part of the official public record. DHS has recently taken to lying to Congress and the press about the inclusion of public input into the border wall process. A flood of comments opposing the wall will make it more difficult for them to lie about public support for the border wall.

Below is the information needed to access and comment upon each of the newly released reports.

San Diego, California
4 miles will be added to the existing wall.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available at http://www.borderfencenepa.com/san-diego-sector-eis/
To submit a public comment:
Electronically through this website: SAN DIEGO SECTOR EIS COMMENT FORM
By email to: SDcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: San Diego Sector Tactical Infrastructure EIS, c/o e²M, 2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031
By Fax to: (757) 257-7643
The public comment period ends February 11, 2008

Also near San Diego, California
30 more miles of wall will be built.
The Draft Environmental Assessment is available at
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/san-diego-sector-ea/
To submit a public comment:
By email to: SDEAcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: San Diego Sector Tactical Infrastructure EA, c/o Gulf South Research Corporation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70820
By Fax to: (225) 761-8077
The public comment period ends February 5, 2008

In El Paso, Texas
24.5 miles of wall will be built.
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment is available at
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/el-paso-sector-sea/
To submit a public comment:
By email to: DSEAcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: El Paso Sector, Deming Station, Tactical Infrastructure SEA, c/o Gulf South Research Corporation, 8081 GSRI Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820
By Fax to: (225) 761-8077
The public comment period ends February 16, 2008

In Tucson, Arizona
7.6 miles of new wall will be built.
The Draft Environmental Assessment is available at
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/tucson-sector-ea/
To submit a public comment:
Attend and submit comments at the public open house to be held 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on January 31, 2008 at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85701
Electronically through the Web site at: http://www.borderfencenepa.com/
By email to: TSEAcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: Tucson Sector Tactical Infrastructure EA, c/o Gulf South Research Corporation, 8081 GSRI Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820
By Fax to: (225) 761-8077
The public comment period ends February 16, 2008.

Near Yuma, Arizona
14 miles of wall will be built.
The Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment is available at
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/yuma-sector-sea/
To submit a public comment:
Attend and submit comments at the public open house to be held 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on January 30, 2008 at the Shilo Inn Hotel, 1550 South Castle Dome Avenue, Yuma, Arizona 85365, (928) 782-9511
Electronically through the Web site at: http://www.borderfencenepa.com/
By email to: YSEAcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: Yuma Sector Tactical Infrastructure SEA, c/o Gulf South Research Corporation, 8081 GSRI Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820
By Fax to: (225) 761-8077
The public comment period ends February 20, 2008

Near Marfa, Texas
11 miles of wall will be built.
The Draft Environmental assessment is available at
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/marfa-sector-ea/
To submit a public comment (if you missed the January 23rd protest):
Electronically through the Web site at: MARFA SECTOR EA COMMENT FORM
By email to: MScomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
By mail to: Marfa Sector Tactical Infrastructure EA, c/o e²M, 2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031
By fax to: (757) 299-8444
The public comment period ends February 6, 2008.

Protest the Border Wall in Marfa, Texas on January 23

We invite all those in Big Bend who believe the river should unite us with Mexico and its citizens rather than dividing us to join in a press confernce and peaceful demonstration against the Border Wall on January 23, 2008, at 3:30 p.m. on the public sidewalk adjacent to the Paisano Hotel in Marfa, Texas.

Following the BIG BEND NO BORDER WALL COALITION press conference, Homeland Security will have an Open House in the Paisano Hotel which is hosted by their contracting environmental out-sourcing company.

To read the Draft Environmental Assessment on the Border Wall in Marfa, Texas, go to the website of the private contractor hired by the Department of Homeland Security:
http://www.borderfencenepa.com/marfa-sector-ea