"I stand with the Keep Big Bend Wild coalition"
I stand with the Keep Big Bend Wild coalition in their mission to secure official Wilderness designation for Big Bend National Park's untouched backcountry. This fight isn't new—the National Park Service first championed it in 1974, during my tenure as Director, and reaffirmed the call in 1978. Now, it's time for Congress to act. By enshrining permanent, statutory protection, we can ensure Big Bend’s breathtaking landscapes remain shielded from policy shifts or development threats. It's heartening to see the backing of former NPS Directors, united in our commitment to safeguarding America's wilderness legacy so future generations can continue to embrace its solitude, beauty, and ecological richness."
~ Ronald H. Walker, NPS Director 1973-1975
A Billion Worlds | How Planned ‘Border Patrol Roads’ Will Devastate Big Bend National Park
The Billion Worlds newsletter was created to help open my eyes and yours to worlds of hopeful possibilities we may not have known were there. Sadly, in recent months[…]
Austin American-Statesman | For Big Bend, a pause is not the same as protection
Last spring, when drought had slowed the flow of the Rio Grande through Big Bend National Park to little more than a trickle, I slung a daypack over my[…]
CNN | Border project threatens Big Bend
Originally posted August 18, 2026 Former Big Bend Superintendent Bob Krumenaker discusses concerns that a proposed border security project could damage the park’s landscape and wildlife. Watch the CNN[…]
AP | Trump administration briefly pauses contentious border project in Texas’ Big Bend National Park
The Trump administration said Monday it is temporarily pausing construction of a contentious border construction project in Texas’ Big Bend National Park while the head of the agency tasked with building[…]
Public Domain | Trump Administration Halts Border Work In Big Bend National Park As Outrage Grows
Originally posted August 17, 2026 The Trump administration has paused all border barrier construction work at Big Bend National Park, after a flurry of videos showing bulldozers marring the[…]
The Hill | Texas state lawmakers urge Abbott to help stop CBP barrier construction in Big Bend National Park
Dozens of Texas lawmakers earlier this week urged Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to put a stop to the Trump administration’s plans to build border barrier installations at Big Bend National Park.
Y’all-itics Podcast | Bulldozing Big Bend
The bulldozing of Big Bend National Park is underway and the bipartisan fallout emerging from the debris piles has been swift and is growing in ferocity. A bipartisan coalition[…]
Public Domain | Bulldozers Plow Through Big Bend National Park As Trump’s Border Work Surges Ahead
Bulldozers have begun plowing up ground at the mouth of Big Bend National Park’s famed Santa Elena Canyon as part of the Trump administration’s multibillion-dollar “smart wall” expansion on the U.S.-Mexico[…]
US Public Lands Threats Map
Construction activities began in August 2026 after federal environmental and cultural resource laws were waived for this project. Planned infrastructure includes border barriers, patrol roads, lighting, surveillance systems, and[…]
CNN | Bulldozers rip into Big Bend National Park, driving anger and heartbreak
The towering cliffs, jagged mountain tops, and punishing desert climate of the Big Bend region in Texas have long proved to be the best barrier the United States could have with[…]
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Every contribution helps defray the cost of our volunteers to produce materials and travel to meetings to build awareness and strengthen our coalition.
Contributions supporting Keep Big Bend Wild are managed by the El Paso Community Foundation and are tax deductible as allowed by law.
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Images © Rebecca Latson.
Keep Big Bend Wild
P.O. Box 66
Big Bend National Park, TX, 79834