"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
Outside | The Trump Administration Just Waived Dozens of Protections in Big Bend. Former Park Leaders Are Sounding the Alarm.
Originally posted June 17, 2026 Lawmakers and former leaders of Big Bend National Park are sounding the alarm after the Trump administration recently waived dozens of environmental and historic protections. The groups[…]
Austin American-Statesman | This is the edge of America. Why would we change it?
We stood at the doorstep of a foreign land and a gorge millions of years in the making. I told my kids: This is the edge of America.
Wild Idea Media | New Wilderness Directives, Congress Approves $2 Billion for Parks, Former Big Bend Supervisors Fight Border Wall
This week on The Wild Line, we’re tracking new federal directives reshaping wilderness management for climbing anchors and livestock grazing, a bipartisan bill that would restore nearly $2 billion[…]
Marfa Public Radio | Trump administration will bypass environmental laws for border project in Big Bend National Park
The Trump administration is once again bypassing federal environmental laws to speed up work on border barriers and related infrastructure in the Big Bend region of West Texas, this[…]
Deseret News | Ex-superintendents urge Homeland Security not to build through Big Bend National Park
Since February, there’s been uncertainty about whether the Department of Homeland Security would build a wall through stretches of the Big Bend region of West Texas.
National Parks Traveler | Former Big Bend National Park Officials Urge Homeland Security Secretary Not To Allow “Wholesale And Unaccountable Destruction” Of The Park
Former Big Bend National Park officials, whose first letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin asking that he not waive environmental regulations to allow construction of a border wall[…]
The Guardian | ‘It’s massive destruction’: outcry in Texas over waivers to allow border wall in Big Bend national park
The Trump administration has waived a slew of environmental and historical preservation laws that would allow it to build a towering border wall that cuts through Big Bend national[…]
National Parks Traveler | Groups Amend Lawsuit To Challenge Waiver Of Environmental Laws For Big Bend Border Wall
On Tuesday the Department of Homeland Security waived dozens of environmental laws to authorize construction of border barriers and roads through Big Bend, marking the first time in U.S. history that the[…]
The Travel | U.S. Government Confirms 17 Miles Of Metal Barriers At Big Bend National Park
On Tuesday, June 9, the Trump administration confirmed it will build 17 miles of metal barriers that will pass through Texas's Big Bend National Park. The announcement came a day[…]
National Parks Traveler | The Emasculation Of The National Park Service
With the stroke of his pen, or a few taps on his keyboard, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin emasculated the National Park Service. By waiving a long list of environmental[…]
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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