As construction of new border wall begins in Arizona, wildlife groups demand protections

Versión en español

Nogales, Arizona – In the San Rafael Valley, the machinery is up and running as work on the new border wall has been well underway since Aug. 25. Although the project is already a reality, opposing organizations such as Sky Island Alliance and the Sierra Club insist on a key proposal: including wildlife crossings to protect the region's biodiversity.

The project is being led by Fisher Sand & Gravel Company, which has been contracted to build a 30-foot-high wall that will stretch 27 miles. According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the investment exceeds $300 million. Work will continue until 2027 to complete the construction.

This is one of the last stretches of land without a wall on the southern Arizona border. Organizations such as Sky Island Alliance — whose mission is to protect and restore the land, according to its website — consider this area a crucial corridor for wildlife.

The San Rafael Valley is located in southern Arizona, east of Nogales, between the Patagonia and Huachuca Mountains, and borders the border wall near the municipality of Santa Cruz, Sonora.

Eamon Harrity, wildlife program manager for the Sky Island Alliance, explained to CALÓ News that approximately 85 percent of the animals that encounter the wall are unable to cross — about nine out of 10 animals — so the new wall will impact the region's animals, such as coyotes, pumas, bears, wild boar, two species of deer, porcupines, coatis, rabbits, hares and jaguars.

Harrity said that in the San Rafael Valley, the organization has approximately 60 cameras to monitor wildlife, but along the Arizona border, they have 125 cameras, from Sasabe to east of Douglas.

When asked what the organization will do given that work on the wall has already begun, Harrity responded that they are requesting the construction of wildlife crossings. In areas like Douglas and Sasabe, they have installed very small wildlife crossings, approximately eight inches wide by 11 inches high.

The gates that open in the wall when it rains can also be left open year-round, not just during the rainy season, the wildlife program manager added.

Wildlife crossings are movement pathways that promote habitat connectivity and protect wildlife. They are specially designed structures to allow wild animals to cross artificial barriers such as roads. They can be overpasses, underground tunnels or openings integrated into fences and walls.

Although they are small, he said, they greatly help the animals because coyotes and wild boars can cross. But there are very few crossings, about 40, he said.

Ecological impact on both sides of the border

Zach Palma, Mexico program manager for the organization Sky Island Alliance, focuses on environmental conservation issues in the mountains between Arizona and Sonora.

"Aside from expenses, the concerns are environmental damage and social division, and on the ecological side, this is one of the most important biocorridors in our region, the entire San Rafael Valley, where the crossing of many animals such as jaguars and ocelots, pumas, pronghorn and deer has been documented," Palma said.

From what we hear, he said, they will work toward the Huachuca Mountains first and then toward Patagonia for construction.

The organization proposes to create a wildlife crossing every quarter of a mile, leaving about 120 wildlife crossings along the 27 miles of wall.

Erick Meza, border coordinator for the Sierra Club, visited the area where the machinery is located on Tuesday, September 2, and confirmed that the first panels that make up the wall are already in place. They are installing electrical installations for the camp they will have for the workers, between 100 and 150 people. The site where the company is setting up is about eight miles east of Lochiel, he explained.

Meza noted that the impact on Mexico is also significant because they have already announced plans to extract water from at least three wells, with millions of gallons to be used for mixing concrete and watering roads.

“We can expect the aquifer levels in the wells in Mexico to begin to drop during the wall construction; I can't tell you how much,” Meza said.

He added that they created a map with a proposal outlining the best places for wildlife passages, based on the scientific information collected by cameras that have been in place for several years, recording the passage of different animal species.

César Barrón is an independent reporter covering the transnational communities of Ambos Nogales. He has over 20 years of experience covering the Sonoran communities.