Posts about patrol roads

Photo ©Rebecca L. Latson

"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

Satellite imagery of Big Bend border construction.

NYTimes | Satellite Images Contradict Border Agency on Construction in Big Bend

Customs and Border Protection claimed that construction on a border security project in Big Bend National Park in Texas was limited to “survey and design” work. Visual Investigations’ satellite[…]

A bulldozer at Cottonwood Campground. Photo credit Mary Cantrell/Marfa Public Radio

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[…]

A javelina looks over an area where bulldozers have begun clearing land at Bend National Park. Photo by Natalie Newman

Pam LeBlanc Adventures | Former Big Bend superintendent reacts as bulldozers begin clearing land at national park

Contractors broke ground on Wednesday, but Customs and Border Protection still won’t say exactly what they’re doing, instead claiming they are “in the initial stages of planning and design.”

Construction workers and heavy equipment at Big Bend National Park.

Our Public Lands and Waters | Watch Federal Contractors Destroy Big Bend National Park

As I reported on Wednesday, federal contractors from Southwest Valley Constructors have broken ground in Big Bend National Park for border barriers and new roads.

Masked contractors grade the road to Glenn Springs in Big Bend National Park.

The Big Bend Sentinel | More questions than answers as contractors descend upon Big Bend National Park

Tensions are high in South Brewster County as federal contractor Southwest Valley Construction, a subsidiary of Nebraska-based Kiewit, moved heavy equipment into Big Bend National Park on Tuesday morning.[…]

A bulldozer at Cottonwood Campground. Photo credit Mary Cantrell/Marfa Public Radio

Marfa Public Radio | Border project contractors arrive in Big Bend National Park as Texas lawmakers call for a pause

Texas Democrats in Congress are urging the Trump administration to pause its plan for widespread border security infrastructure inside Big Bend National Park, as a federal contractor working on[…]

Bulldozers and heavy equipment at Big Bend National Park.

Our Public Lands and Waters | The Bulldozers Have Arrived in Big Bend National Park

For months, the Trump administration’s border wall plans for Big Bend National Park existed mostly as contradictory maps, opaque contracts, and shifting (re)assurances. Now, however, the heavy equipment has[…]

A view from the Chisos Mountains at Big Bend in April 2022.

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[…]

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Images © Rebecca Latson.

Keep Big Bend Wild
P.O. Box 66
Big Bend National Park, TX, 79834