"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
National Parks Traveler | Trump Administration Waives Environmental Laws To Allow Border Wall In Big Bend National Park
Months of waffling over how it might construct a border wall through Big Bend National Park took on some clarity Monday when the Department of Homeland Security waived all[…]
Our Public Lands and Waters | Feds Waive 31 Environmental and Resource Protection Laws to Blast Barriers and Bulldoze Roads in Big Bend National Park
After many, many months of inconsistent messaging, a complete lack of communication, and massive public confusion about Homeland Security’s plans for a border wall in Big Bend National Park[…]
Washington Post | Spike in border wall spending goes mostly to 2 firms with GOP, White House ties
The Trump administration has sharply accelerated spending on border wall construction, issuing billion-dollar contracts that are the largest in the project’s history and potentially putting the president on track[…]
Our Public Lands and Waters | $1.7 Billion Construction Contract
Originally posted on May 21, 2026 News broke last week that a $1.7 billion construction contract had been awarded for border barriers in Big Bend National Park. It’s the[…]
Marfa Public Radio | Former Big Bend National Park superintendents express ‘grave concerns’ about Trump administration’s border plans
Seven former superintendents of Big Bend National Park are expressing “grave concerns” with the Trump administration’s plan for new border barriers, roads and surveillance technology in the park, describing[…]
Our Public Lands and Waters | Big Bend National Park Border Infrastructure Would Be “The Most Egregious Assault” on Our National Park System, Seven Former Superintendents Say
Last Saturday, May 16, I reported that Homeland Security had awarded the largest border wall construction contract in U.S. history for a wall in Big Bend National Park. The $1.7[…]
Ride Apart | Despite Opposition, Feds Have Already Awarded Border Wall Contract Through Big Bend National Park
I'd been working on a story about the proposed border wall that aimed to bisect Big Bend National Park in Texas for the last few weeks, having recently spoken[…]
Our Public Lands and Waters | Instead of a Border Wall, CBP Plans to Pave Backcountry Roads Along Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park
After severe and sustained bipartisan blowback—including from all Big Bend border sheriffs, all Texas border county judges, and countless furious locals—it appears that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)[…]
NYTimes | A border wall plan unites Republicans and Democrats in Texas
Originally posted at New York Times. Where the Rio Grande cuts steep cliffs through the arid West Texas mountains, dozens of spring break visitors on a canoe tour learned[…]
National Parks Traveler | Simulation Shows The On-The-Ground Impacts Of A Border Wall In Big Bend
An engineer’s simulation of the possible effects from a border wall proposed for Big Bend National Park by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency shows widespread impacts, from light pollution and[…]
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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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Keep Big Bend Wild
P.O. Box 66
Big Bend National Park, TX, 79834