"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
Our Public Lands and Waters | Big Bend National Park Border Contract Could Fund the Entire Park for 210 Years
“This decision will be remembered by generations of Texans—and all Americans—as a waste of our money and an assault on not just our iconic desert but on the values[…]
Reporterre | ” A sigh of relief “: Trump suspends his anti-immigration project in a national park
Faced with cross-party mobilization, the Trump administration has finally suspended its anti-immigration project at the border with Mexico, in Big Bend National Park, until further notice. Opponents, however, remain[…]
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[…]
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[…]
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[…]
Texas Monthly | The Most Useless Border Barrier in Texas
Perhaps Raymond Skiles should be relieved. A few months ago, the Trump administration was laying the groundwork to take part of his 550-acre ranch near tiny Langtry to build[…]
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[…]
KTSM | Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces gets more support from border communities in fight over Mount Cristo Rey property
A federal judge in New Mexico has ruled the U.S. government can deposit money into a court as part of a plan to seize land from the Catholic Diocese[…]
NYTimes | A Diocese Tries to Protect Its 29-Foot Jesus From Trump’s Border Wall
At sunrise, when the day’s first golden glow washes over the 29-foot-tall limestone Jesus atop Mount Cristo Rey, Lourdes Castañon feels the presence of the divine. “The rays catch[…]
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Click this button to add your name to the growing list of individuals, businesses, and organizations supporting a wilderness designation for the undeveloped lands of Big Bend National Park.
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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