Urgent Action: Stop the Destruction of Big Bend National Park
What You Can Do
Heavy equipment has arrived. The time to act is now.
Contractors and heavy construction equipment have arrived in Big Bend National Park as the federal government advances a multibillion-dollar border-infrastructure project through one of America’s most beautiful and ecologically important landscapes.
The plans include new patrol roads, vehicle barriers, surveillance equipment, buried communication cables, lighting, and potentially additional physical barriers. Some patrol roads could be up to 24 feet wide. The government has repeatedly changed its public descriptions of the project, and the final construction plans and alignments have not been fully disclosed.
What is clear is that land is being disturbed—and the danger to Big Bend is immediate.
The Department of Homeland Security has waived dozens of environmental, historic-preservation, and public-land laws to accelerate the project. The waived protections include the National Park Service Organic Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
These laws exist to ensure that national parks remain unimpaired for future generations. No administration should be permitted to simply set them aside.
What Big Bend Could Lose
Big Bend protects more than 800,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert, mountains, canyons, springs, and more than 100 miles of the Rio Grande.
Construction could:
- Bulldoze desert vegetation and wildlife habitat.
- Fragment migration routes used by black bears, mountain lions, birds, and other wildlife.
- Cut animals off from the Rio Grande and other essential water sources.
- Damage archaeological, historic, and Indigenous cultural sites.
- Restrict public access to the river, trails, campsites, and backcountry areas.
- Introduce roads, traffic, fencing, lighting, and surveillance infrastructure into one of America’s wildest and darkest national parks.
- Leave permanent scars extending far beyond the footprint of any barrier.
Once this desert landscape is bulldozed, it cannot simply be put back.
Take Action for Big Bend Now
1. Send a Message Directly to Congress
The National Parks Conservation Association has created a dedicated action form that sends a message to your congressional representatives.
Tell Congress: Big Bend Is No Place for a Border Wall
Ask Congress to stop funding destructive infrastructure inside Big Bend National Park and demand an immediate pause until complete plans, environmental consequences, and less damaging alternatives are disclosed to the public.
2. Support the Legal Challenges Protecting Big Bend
Multiple organizations, local residents, and community representatives are challenging the federal government’s actions in court.
The principal lawsuit concerning construction through Big Bend National Park was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Ruidosa Church, and Big Bend river guide and landowner Danny William Miller Jr.
Their lawsuit challenges the federal government’s waiver of environmental and public-land protections and seeks to stop the project unless the government complies with the laws that would ordinarily apply. The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from the Center for Biological Diversity and the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Read About the Big Bend National Park Lawsuit
Support the Center for Biological Diversity
A separate legal challenge has been brought by the Presidio Municipal Development District, which represents the economic interests of the City of Presidio and Presidio County. The lawsuit argues that construction affecting the community’s levees could compromise critical flood-control infrastructure and endanger homes, farms, businesses, and residents.
The Presidio Municipal Development District is represented by Democracy Forward.
Read About the Presidio Community Lawsuit
These legal challenges defend different parts of the Big Bend region, but they share an essential goal: requiring the federal government to follow the law before permanently altering this irreplaceable landscape and the communities that depend on it.
3. Support the Local Campaign
Keep Big Bend Wild is a community-based organization working to protect the park’s wild character. Its volunteers provide public information, organize local opposition, monitor government proposals, and advocate for security approaches that do not destroy the landscape.
Follow the Latest Big Bend Actions
4. Call Your Representatives
Use this message:
I am calling to demand an immediate pause on destructive border infrastructure inside Big Bend National Park. Heavy equipment and contractors have arrived while the government has failed to disclose complete construction plans or conduct the environmental review that would ordinarily be required.
I support effective border security, but bulldozing national park habitat, building wide patrol roads, blocking wildlife movement, and waiving the laws that protect our parks are not acceptable solutions.
Please oppose further funding for destructive infrastructure in Big Bend and demand full transparency, public review, and protection of the park, the Rio Grande, wildlife, cultural sites, and surrounding communities.
5. Share the Images—and Give People Somewhere to Act
When sharing photographs or video of construction, include a verified action link. Images can generate attention, but attention becomes meaningful only when people know what to do next.
Suggested social caption:
Bulldozers and federal contractors have arrived in Big Bend National Park. The government waived dozens of environmental and historic-preservation laws to accelerate border infrastructure through this irreplaceable landscape.
Big Bend is a national park—not a construction corridor. Tell Congress to stop the destruction and support the organizations fighting this project in court.
Take action: Tell Congress to Protect Big Bend
#ProtectBigBend #NationalParks #WildlifeVoice #PublicLandsNotForSale
Big Bend Is the Warning
This is about more than one park.
If an administration can waive the National Park Service Organic Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other foundational protections to bulldoze infrastructure through Big Bend, then every national park is more vulnerable.
Big Bend is where the threat is visible today.
This is where we must make our voices heard.
Stop the bulldozers. Defend the law. Protect Big Bend.
Continue the National Campaign
After taking action for Big Bend:
- Fund the organizations fighting public-land destruction in court.
- Contact Congress about drilling, mining, land transfers, and National Park Service cuts.
- Join conservation action-alert networks.
- Submit public comments when federal projects are proposed.
- Share verified lawsuit and campaign links with your community.
