# UCS Reports Trump Administration Kept Secrets on Border Wall Harms to the Environment

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/ucs-reports-trump-administration-kept-secrets-on-border-wall-harms-to-the-environment/
- Published: 2020-04-29T00:38:48-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

#### ![Border wall, First of all, let's talk border wall. Because officials from the Department of Interior (DOI) stripped language. Language by federal scientists on a key environmental impacts. This letter to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) about the US-Mexico border wall.](https://i0.wp.com/web.archive.org/web/20190130220651/https%3A//www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/styles/adaptive/public/scientific-integrity-abuses/1200-border-wall.jpg?resize=540%2C185&ssl=1)

First of all, let’s talk border wall. Because officials from the Department of Interior(
DOI) stripped language. Language by federal scientists on a key environmental impacts.
This letter to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) about the US-Mexico 
border wall.

The deleted sections came from the  writing of federal biologists and wildlife managers.
All from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). They brought up scientifically 
valid concerns. Concerns about the potential impact of the [border wall](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/11/rare-tree-species-and-their-environmental-impact/)
on endangered species. Those whose populations are along the border.

#### Why it matters:

Protecting endangered species requires science. Yes indeed, considering science 
in listing endangered species is legally mandated. Mandates by the Endangered Species
Act. So excluding scientific evidence will likely put endangered species at risk.
Yes folks of further decline. Worst is against the law. Furthermore, deleting scientific
language sets up a dangerous precedent. One that it is all right to silence and 
censor federal scientists.

Excluding scientists and their work from the policy is no good. It’s making process
leads to governmental decisions that are not evidence based. Yes folks and therefore
less likely to be effective. Also or protect the health of the public and our environment.

#### Fish and Wildlife Raised Concerns to US Customs and Border Protection

According to newly released emails obtained by the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/12/11/interior-officials-downplayed-federal-wildlife-experts-concerns-about-trumps-border-wall-documents-show/),
concerns raised by scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). All moreover
about the potential harms to endangered species of building a border wall excluding
from an important document submitted to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP).

In addition and as well around August 2017, the USCBP asked FWS to give information
on how animal species would be affected. Impacted by constructing 60 miles of levee
and bollard wall. All consequently in Hidalgo and Starr counties.

That’s Right near the southern tip of Texas. The USCBP only received a truncated
version of FWS scientists’ concerns. Officials from the Department of Interior (
DOI) removed the scientists’ concerns. Concerns on endangered species’ habitats,
flooding risks, and wildfires from the final draft of the letter.

#### Habitat Connectivity

The FWS raised many concerns that dismissing from the document submitted to USCBP.
The scientists brought up the border wall’s potential ability to diminish the “habitat
connectivity” for the endangered ocelots and jaguarundis.

So a permeant border wall may limit the cats’ access to drinking water.  More noteworthy
and increase the risk of inbreeding in the cat populations.  Only  due to an inability
for different populations to intermingle. The scientists also said that the border
wall could trap the animals “behind the levee wall to drown or starve”. That’s during
a flood and they suggested constructing a pathway south of the levee. One to allow
the animals the chance to flee during a flood.

Other concerns raised by the scientists included: capping the holes used for fencing
posts so that wildlife does not become trapped in the holes, and to warn authorities
that they will face difficulties when fighting wildfires in the parts of the US 
territory that end up south of the wall.

These concerns are largely in line with what [scientists outside the federal government](https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/12/11/interior-officials-downplayed-federal-wildlife-experts-concerns-about-trumps-border-wall-documents-show/)
say and are the sort of issues that have been before brought by the scientific community.

#### Access to Water

Water is a limiting factor in the area. So animals need to have the [freedom to move](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-rsquo-s-wall-may-threaten-thousands-of-plant-and-animal-species-on-the-u-s-mexico-border/?redirect=1&error=cookies_not_supported&code=e0a4f535-6728-467f-8664-29edea9ed6cd)
to water-rich locations. Especially to find food and water. At the same time, the
area is prone to flooding. Yes especially at the border wall. So therefore it is
likely to [trap wildlife](https://thinkprogress.org/trump-28-environmental-laws-texas-border-wall-climate-642e1bc1eb71/)
and heighten the risk of drowning when the Rio Grande floods.

Therefore, the [reduction in genetic species diversity](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/cookieAbsent)
due to the US-Mexico border is isolating animal populations. Yes from one another
is supported by scientific literature. Furthermore, over [2500 scientists from 43 countries](https://web.archive.org/web/20190612032719/https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/68/10/740/5057517)
agree. They agree that the US-Mexico border wall is a threat to biodiversity in 
the region. This threat is likely to be exasperated. All as a result of suspending
important laws in [New Mexico](https://blog.ucsusa.org/charise-johnson/demolishing-public-protections-to-build-trumps-wall?_ga=2.106269571.1844012531.1544450678-691744357.1528468743)
and [southern Texas. Laws that protect the environment, the wildlife, and the land.](https://thinkprogress.org/trump-28-environmental-laws-texas-border-wall-climate-642e1bc1eb71/)

[Ocelot species in North America are precariously low. That’s with the FWS estimating only ](https://thinkprogress.org/trump-28-environmental-laws-texas-border-wall-climate-642e1bc1eb71/)
[80 to 100 individuals](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/08/ocelot-camera-trap-texas-refuge-video-spd/)
exist in the region. The identification of [one litter](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/12/ocelot-kittens-den-found-texas-conservation-cats-animals-science/)
of healthy ocelot babies in southern Texas considering a newsworthy event. That’s
to the wildlife biologist community.

#### Jaguarundi Threatened Species

Cause the jaguarundi is also a highly endangered cat in the region. The jaguarundi
are a [threatened species](https://www.nature.com/news/2011/110802/full/news.2011.452.html?error=cookies_not_supported&code=c5ca60c1-8415-4b32-893a-b9c41aadaa43)
in Mexico. However they are so rare in Texas. So much so that the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department considers them [extinct](https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/jag/)
in the state. That’s though the FWS lists them as endangered with habitat ranges
in the southern tip of Texas.

A few of the concerns raised by the FWS scientists in the final letter. One concern
focusing on how the border wall would affect the tourism. Tourism to a national 
wildlife refuge.

Also including in the letter were two concerns raised about the rare wild cat species.
Especially about the  amount of brush that these cats need. Brush for traveling 
will be negatively affected with a wall. Also that nocturnal cat will be disturbed
by the lighting. You know folks, on the border wall.

The decision to strip away the scientists’ concerns may guiding by earlier statements.
Statements made then by DOI Secretary Zinke. Therefore Jonathan Andrew, a DOI borderlands
coordinator, previously wrote to FWS officials. One correspondence was a March 2017
email. This email said the following statement.  With my little comments to it

The Secretary is indicating we are to [support the border security mission. S](https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/12/11/interior-officials-downplayed-federal-wildlife-experts-concerns-about-trumps-border-wall-documents-show/)
o as to make sure you get any correspondence on this topic cleared. You know, up
the food chain.

This was not Secretary Zinke’s first time censoring scientists. As recently detailed
by our report about [attacks on science at DOI](https://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/center-science-and-democracy/science-under-siege-department-interior-2018#.XBeoIFxKiUk).

Federal scientists must also be allowed to speak freely on these issues.  Freely
and without the threat of censorship. In addition protecting endangered species 
requires considering the best available science.

#### Endangered Species

Endangered species risking further decline. Decline when the best available science
is not considered. Considering it in decisions that impact their populations. Further
and once these species are gone, we cannot bring them back.

This not the first time that the [Trump administration](https://greenlivingguy.com/2017/03/trumps-budget-proposal-will-raise-energy-bills-and-kill-jobs/)
has ignored, dismissed, or quieted federal scientists. So much that they are raising
scientifically valid concerns.

(So see [here](https://www.ucsusa.org/center-science-and-democracy/attacks-on-science/two-scientists-left-us-fish-and-wildlife-service),
[here](https://www.ucsusa.org/), [here](https://www.ucsusa.org/), and [here](https://www.ucsusa.org/center-science-and-democracy/attacks-on-science/two-scientists-left-us-fish-and-wildlife-service))

In conclusion, without the voices of federal scientists speaking truth to power.
So our policies are bound to be less informed. Informing the publicbby the evidence.
As well and therefore be less protective of the important animal species. Finally
these species also call America its home.

**_Source_**: [Union of Concerned Scientists](https://www.ucsusa.org)

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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