!! SAVE BIG BEND !!

“Wall” = ANY border security construction deemed unsuitable or useless in our terrain for needless projects that will have little to no effect - at taxpayer’s expense.

“Patrol Road” = 100’ wide, part paved, part dirt for footprint dragging, fiber optics, lights and in some cases ditches – basically a private highway across our pristine, wide open spaces that are supposed to be protected.

"Vehicle Barriers" (VBs) = We are still a little unclear on what exactly they are doing with VBs placed in areas where absolutely NO vehicles could cross the river. I suspect they will be used to keep the public off of their PRIVATE ROAD where existing dirt roads will meet their "new road". If that is the case, they will effectively block all river access points for boating.  They will be completely useless in the Wild & Scenic River Corridor (Lower Canyons). This is without a doubt a waste of taxpayer money....!

“Big Bend” = from El Paso to Amistad, not just the National Park. This creates a lot of confusion because some portions of the Big Bend are still slated for 30’ bollard walls. Even though the NP & SP are currently excluded, we are still fighting any type of “Wall”.

BB National Park = small portion of the overall Big Bend Region

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I am a Terlingua Native

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Terlingua has been my home for 55 Years...!

I have loved Bend Bend and the Rio Grande River my enire life. It holds a special place in my heart. Living in Terlingua has not always been easy. The Big Bend is many, many miles away from civilization, but I have dedicated my life to it. 

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My husband and I have worked very hard and invested everything into cutting out a living here. A Border Wall in Big Bend will affect tourism and could very likely bankrupt us.

I have a realistic fear of being homeless if we have to abandon our home and our business.

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We are not saying "no border security" - let's just be practical and figure out a way that won't destroy lives....PLEASE..!

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Pictured: Santa Elena Canyon (BBNP)

The Rio Grande is used recreationally from Big Bend Ranch State Park all the way thru Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic (known as the Lower Canyons and protected by BBNP).

 

We stand to loose: Colorado Canyon, Dark Canyon, Santa Elena Canyon, Mariscal Canyon, Hot Springs Canyon, Boquillas Canyon, Lower Canyons and everything in between.

 

If a border "wall" is approved thru the Big Bend it will cutoff access to the river. These canyons would no longer be accessible for recreation or for animals trapped on the Texas side - they will die.

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Pictured: Lower Canyons (RG Wild & Scenic)

* Immediate threats:

1. Razor wire IN our flood plains. Monsoon season is just around the corner. Razor wire will eventually work its way into the river - putting boating enthusiasts in life threatening danger. This must be addressed NOW!!!

2. Construction of Man Camps are underway to build physical walls thru our upstream neighbor's ranches & farm land. These folks have no place to go and will loose multiple generations of historical ranches and farms - their livelihoods and future generations of livelihoods!

* $1.7 Billion contract has been awarded for border security in Big Bend National Park. We are still unclear if it's for roads, lighted roads, paved roads or physical walls..?

* Current "Smart Map" has blocked all access points to the Rio Grande River for recreation or otherwise.

* Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has waived 29 Federal laws, including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the Wild and Scenic River Act.

* 46 Members of the Texas House of Representative​ (more now),  ALL 14 County Judges from ElPaso to Brownsville (the entire Rio Grande border of Texas), Brewster and Presidio County Commissioners, and Five Sheriff's from Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Presidio and Terrell Counties - who protect and assist the Border Patrol - have all issued a statement opposing a physical border wall and/or asking for more transparency.

* The Big Bend sector is historically known to have low illegal crossings.

* The Big Bend and Rio Grande are one of the most intact desert ecosystems in the US - a living, breathing riparian zone and wildlife corridor that supports everything that lives near it....including US Citizens.

* Big Bend is a designated International Dark Sky Reserve threatened by "Lighted" walls and/or roads.

* Big Bend is home to federally protected endangered species and archaeological, geological and ecological research sites that are threatened by demolition to literally carve a path for a wall that is not needed; and trap wildlife from the lifegiving water of the Rio Grande.​​

* A border wall in the Big Bend will affect tourism and harm the local economy, bankrupt river outfitters, decrease tourism (our main form of income); thereby, decreasing property values. It will have a trickle down affect and eventually affect our school and teachers who have also put down roots.

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Pictured: Boquillas Canyon (BBNP)

​​8/17/26 - CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, paused the construction for two weeks so he could come take  look for himself. He met with local stake holders, Sheriffs, Judges, etc. and they discussed various options and alternatives. He extended the pause until Sept 15. After a recent "Wall" related hearing, the pause was extended to the end of Sept.

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The contractors have stopped working inside the National Park (temporarily), but are still actively building a 20+ acre staging yard on Hwy 118, north of Big Bend National Park; and are actively seeking millions of gallons of water – for “wall” &/or vehicle barrier construction. I doubt they will go quietly – they will find a way to get the money they think is coming to them..! We still have a difficult battle ahead of us.

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8/13/26 - CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott issued a statement to "correct the record": 1. Building one road, 2. Not bulding a 30' Wall or stadium lighting through BBNP, BBRSP or Black Gap Wildlife Mgt Area, 3. "What people are seeing right now is survey & design work", 4. "These improvements will .... assist visitors in danger."

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This is more information than we have received - maybe ever. However: 1.  their current plans include at least two new roads - one being built now right next to an existing road near Santa Elena Canyon and another crossing Mariscal Mountain (which would require blasting). 2. If they are truly not building a 30' wall - that's great news!! 3. My father was the Brewster County surveyor for many years - his work DID NOT require the use of bulldozers and heavy equipment (currently blazing a path near Santa Elena Canyon). 4. BBNP is safer than any major city across this nation. Hundreds of folks hike inside Santa Elena Canyon weekly and no one has ever been accosted by an illegal immigrant or cartel..! In fact just a few miles downstream, you can legally cross the river and enjoy lunch in the friendly village of Boquillas, Mexico - where no one has ever been accosted..!

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If 3 out of the 4 statements are blatant lies- how can we believe that a wall is not in their plans..!

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Aug/26 - Man camps are filling up the RV park in Rio Grande Village (NP) and one location in Terlingua; and a maintenance yard (20 acres) is being graded for heavy equipment on Hwy 118 north of Study Butte.​

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6/4/26 - Another $2.6 Billion contract has been awarded for construction thru the Wild & Scenic/Lower Canyons - from Big Bend National Park to Lake Amistad. Total for all Big Bend sector's will cost $7.56 Billion (as of now), or around $14.6 million per mile of border. By CBPs own data, they will be spending $2.4 million dollars per "apprehension".

 

Border security does not need roads, that then need "vehicle barriers" - it's counterintuitive. Crossing are low in this area because there are no roads .....!!!

 

5/17/2026 - A $1.7 Billon contract has been awarded for construction thru Big Bend National Park. They are telling us it's for roads, but the contract reads "for Border Wall in Big Bend". If they build a wall, taxpayers just spent $1.7 Billion to "gift" they Rio Grande to Mexico! 

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5/14/2026  - Markwayne Mullin ignores County Judges, County Commissioners, County Sheriffs and multiple State Representatives; and waives 29 environmental laws to push through border construction thru the congressionally designated Wild & Scenic section of the Rio Grande - Lower Canyons. The "Smart Map" has reappeared. It now show "Roads and Road Barriers" being built throughout Big Bend National Park and the Wild & Scenic Lower Canyons - along the foothills of mesas and mountains that serve as natural walls and/or along the tops of canyon walls, all virtually impossible to pass.

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Theoretically - building a highway thru inhospitable land and lighting it up is practically an invitation for illegals to cross. This is a counterintuitive plan, and feels more like the first step towards creating a "border crisis" so they can then justify building a wall later down the road...!!

 

4/24/2026 - The "Smart Map" has been removed altogether. We've gone from vague information to zero transparency.

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4/21/2026 - The CBP online Smart Map changed again. Physical border walls (represented by green lines) are now present in the National Park at FOUR River access points - we are loosing access to Santa Elena Canyon, Mariscal Canyon, Boquillas Canyon and our beloved Wild & Scenic/Lower Canyons!  All 14 County Judges from El Paso to Brownsville sent a letter to Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security, requesting transparency to ensure the diverse & unique needs of the border communities are met with practical solutions for border security.

 

3/18/26 - Big Bend National Park "may" be excluded from a physical wall, but a National Park designation did not stop a wall along Arizona's border, so we are leery. We have received no official word from Homeland Security or our State Officials - only a colored line on map that seems to change daily. 

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We cannot get complacent - visit noborderwall.org

for all the information on who to contact.

Then share, share, share - Please.

Our livelihood depends on it.

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Pictured: Mariscal Canyon (BBNP)

BBRSP is just as beautiful as the National Park and in many ways even more so. Due to our diligence it has been taken off the physical wall list, but we are skeptical. Survey markers are turning up within the SP boundaries. 

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Currently, most of the State Park is excluded from any type of border barrier - continuing to use sensor technology. A small portion on the west side is still showing a 30' wall on the CBP Smart Wall Map.

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Fisher Sand & Gravel has been awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build a "vertical barrier" from Ruidosa thru Big Bend Ranch State Park. They have a long rap sheet of environmental and safety violation - as well as numerous lawsuits and history of tax fraud

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Hwy 170 runs thru BBRSP and along the river - offering one of the most scenic drives in the country. In some spaces there isn't even room for a wall to exist between the road and the river. 

 

Desiccating a river corridor and riparian zone that supports millions of people and wildlife is just not feasible.

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Pictured: Colorado Canyon (BBRSP)

* The Big Bend sector is the largest border sector and is historically known to have the lowest illegal crossings - 1.3% is zero in Border Patrol terms and have shown a decrease of 74% since 2021.

* Texas's southern border is NOT LIKE the rest of the southern border of the US. It is not just a line across the map. It is a living, breathing river and riparian zone that has supported the lives of wildlife and US citizens' lives for centuries. 

* The canyons, mountains and miles of desert on both sides of the river make crossing inhospitable. Most who attempt it are unprepared - cannot carry enough water and food to "disappear" in a populated area. Those who try are easily found and detained, call for help or die trying.

*  Our Men and Women on the ground (Border Patrol) know exactly where the few areas of attempts are located and are easily patrolled.

* Spending billions of taxpayers money on a pointless wall is ludicrous. We already have a secure border in Big Bend.

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Pictured: Lower Canyons (Wild & Scenic)