The Bureau of Land Management recently released a report that outlines the damages on lands in southern Arizona caused by illegal immigration. Trash is a significant problem. Photo submitted by BLM.
Posted on 10/25/2007 12:07:02 PM PDT by HiJinx
BISBEE — It’s a long-standing concern of border-security proponents: Illegal immigration and smuggling cause significant environmental damage, says a report recently released by the Bureau of Land Management.
The annual report for fiscal 2006 details efforts by the bureau and partner organizations to mitigate the impacts on lands in Southern Arizona.
Deborah E. Stevens, public affairs specialist for the Bureau of Land Management, said the purpose of the report is to build public awareness and get attention to the issue.
“Tremendous numbers of people and organizations are doing work. We kind of want to let people know what we are doing and what kind of project work is going on,” said Shela McFarlin, special assistant for international programs for the bureau.
More than 225,000 pounds of trash related to smuggling were collected, according to a press release on the report. Another 900,000 pounds of litter that resulted from both smuggling and illegal dumping were removed.
About 24 million pounds of trash cover thousands of acres of public and tribal lands. The most visible items are drinking bottles, clothing and food refuse.
Illegal roads and trails cause damages to resources on the landscape. There are also damages to infrastructure, such as gates, ranges, fences and water tanks.
Also as a result of the project, more than 75 projects were completed, ranging from cattleguard repair to re-vegetation. The project also involved rehabilitating more than 100 routes and maintaining 26 miles of roads.
Also removed were more than 130 abandoned vehicles and 1,902 abandoned bicycles. Removal of the vehicles, which are often burned, is difficult and expensive because care must be exercised to avoid further damage to the environment.
“Across federal and tribal lands in southern Arizona, significant natural and cultural resources are also being damaged, along with sensitive wildlife habitats,” says the release.
W. Richard Hodges, a rancher who owns property along the border, said the impact of illegal immigration is also evident on his private land in Cochise County. “The migrant trails are substantial,” Hodges said. “I can run 30 head of cows, and they can go to different points on my pasture, and a cow path will be 18 to 20 inches wide, and it’s six or eight inches deep.”
“Where the illegal immigrants walk, I’ve got a path that is 36 inches wide,” he continued. “Nothing grows along it and there is every kind of piece of garbage you can imagine.”
He has found numerous items on his land, including cell phones, baby diapers, plastic bottles, backpacks and clothing.
The BLM report is online at blm.gov/az/st/en/info/newsroom/undocumented_aliens.htm
The Bureau of Land Management recently released a report that outlines the damages on lands in southern Arizona caused by illegal immigration. Trash is a significant problem. Photo submitted by BLM.
Trashy Ping!
It’s not just on the border, HiJinx. They’ve colonized the entire country with their garbage. Mexican drug cartels are destroying our parks and forests.
http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/search?q=marijuana+farm
Looks like the streets of Mexico City at the end of the day. (It’s only fair to add that they sweep it up during the night.)
Oh, I know it’s not just the border - it’s sickening what’s happening all across the country.
You’ve heard, right, that our national parks and forests down here are posted with warning signs alerting recreational users that they risk mortal danger while using same?
One must include some indigenous aliens as well into this description.
At the King Ranch in South Texas their signs read:
“Posted, No Trespassing, Survivors Will Be Prosecuted”
But we can’t build a fence because it might damage this pristine environment we have down here!
Well, they sure do that here. The 4 counties near me, all our sheriffs tell us...DO NOT go into the woods! These cartels are armed and dangerous.
snips....
" Police seized 2,500 marijuana plants with a street value estimated at up to $12.5 million on Monday and arrested two armed men they found at the gardens."
". These operations are spearheaded by various Latino gangs, one being the powerful, well armed MS-13 gang"
"Those operations have caused increasing concern in recent years because they severely degrade the environment and pose a danger to people who wander across them."
"Don't expect to take your children into the woods for the day, the sheriffs warn, it is no longer safe."
http://towncriernews.blogspot.com/search?q=marijuana+farm
Oh well one must have his own prioroties.
'Predators Leaving Their Mark'
Regarding the streets of Mexico being swept up at night - when did that start? Last time I was in Nogales, (many years ago), there were decades of trash on their streets.
HEY! Some of us border trash may take issue with that...! ;^)
Don't that just frost yer biscuits? The enviros are just plain wacked out.
I’m disgusted by Mexicans. They litter like crazy in Mexico too. I have no use for Mexico and the current crop of Mexican immigrants. Ones in the past were better and capable of being civilized by living here. Today’s Mexican immigrants are awful and that includes many of the legal ones too. Many of the legal ones are nasty uneducated peasant types
Mexicans have no respect for America or they are so stupid they don’t know how to behave when they are guests. And unwanted ones at that
I wouldn't say that. They both bother me - but - did the Speaker make the news today?
Oh yeah and like yuppie, wasp, italian, or jewish New Yorkers don't ever litter.
New York is so clean, just look out for the dog crap.
You all are so funny, with your knee jerk stereotypes.
LOL, I don’t know when the street sweeping started. I’ve only been to Mexico City three times, between 2002 and 2004. They had teams of street sweepers picking up the trash (no trash cans in sight), but you could still see the layer of accumulated filth and grime that the brooms missed.
No soap or soap dispensers in the beautiful National Museum.
No running water or flushing toilets at the national treasure of Teotihuacan, but there was an employee sitting on a stool outside of the stalls who offered to let you use a bucket of water (the same bucket everyone else used).
My wife proceeded to pick up the entire back and secure it to their windshield with their windshield wiper.
Brought a tear to my eye...
>>They both bother me - but - did the Speaker make the news today?<<
I agree. Most of us are concerned with much more than one issue.
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