Just to clarify, from Edge Wade: This is from the National Wildlife Refuge Association, [log in to unmask] : "Two weeks ago, we learned that the Administration had been working in secret for months on preparations to construct a border wall through Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Since then, we™ve learned a bit more about the proposed wall: Wall construction could begin as early as this November with already appropriated funds that have been moved from other programs The Administration plans to waive standard environmental impact studies and bypass all environmental laws under the authority of the REAL ID Act of 2005 The wall will be 18 feet tall and approximately three miles long Last week, the House passed a Defense Minibus that appropriated $1.6 billion for border wall construction in FY18; however, the fate of this bill is still largely uncertain in the Senate The planned route for the wall would cut off the Visitor Center from the refuge If the wall were constructed as described it would eliminate migratory movements of mammals, which could include endangered ocelots and other wildlife leading to genetic inbreeding and eventually species extinction. The concrete levee wall could also result in increased flooding within the refuge, trapping and drowning wildlife that would be unable to escape. Santa Ana NWR is an economic powerhouse that generates an estimated $462 million to the local economy and hosts 165,000 visitors each year. A border wall cutting off the Visitor Center from the rest refuge would discourage visitation “ if the public were still even allowed to visit! As of now, we still don™t know how the wall would affect public access to the refuge. Because the wall would disrupt the environmental integrity of one of the most biologically diverse areas in the U.S. and the National Wildlife Refuge System, the Refuge Association opposes the construction of the border wall through the refuge. We believe that the Administration needs to conduct a broader assessment for the best placement of infrastructure and border technology to serve its purpose." Edge Wade Conservation Partnership Coordinator [log in to unmask] " ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]