Steel is moving in
Biggest Thing To Know
A staging area for equipment is being built in Presidio. Construction equipment has begun moving down Chispa Road to Moody Bennett ranch to begin staging and construction of the border wall. Steel bollards have been seen on Chispa Road. And today, the House of Representatives will vote on the budget for the Department of Homeland Security, including the border wall.
Here’s a quick overview of where things stand.
A new well was recently approved for Wineglass Holdings LLC owned by Jim Dyer on Chispa Rd. Dyer, who is also on the Jeff Davis County water board, applied for a production well and it was granted for the sole purpose to sell water to Barnard. He is allotted 325,881 gallons per square acre and owns approximately 1,900 acres. This means Dyer can legally sell 600,000,000 + gallons of water to Barnard border wall construction activities.
A man camp is being built in Sierra Blanca, and potentially at Pecan Grove Farms in Lobo. A staging area and office setup for Fisher Industries is being built in Presidio. There have been multiple complaints lodged to TCEQ over how this work is being conducted.
A stop work order was issued by a HUdspeth county judge, who ruled that the work on Chipsa Road by Barnard was not permitted.
Fisher Sand and Gravel was awarded a second federal contract worth $2.6billion for wall construction east of the national park. Fisher has been given $3.8B for border wall work in Texas.
The Landowner Coalition is gaining traction, with over 100 landowners signed up. There’s more information HERE.
What happened last week?
Landowner outreach in Terrell County is complete. Outreach is still critical to landowners in the Big Bend Sector. David Keller and Yolanda Alvarado are coordinating efforts. Anyone interested in learning more can reach out to landowners@conservebigbend.org.
We got some good press ! NPR: All Things Considered hosted an on-air segment, and the Washington Post wrote up a good look at the politcal ties for the wall. Salon and Pro Publica published investigations into who is getting contracts for wall construction. Hat tip to local reporter Sam Karas for her powerhouse work!
We got over 600 new signatures on our ongoing petition. Reminder that the more people who are involved, the better. No Big Bend Wall had a booth and fundraiser at Agave Festival in Marfa last week. We were glad to see supporters !
What’s Next?
Call members of the House Appropriations committee to ask them to exclude border wall funding from the budget.
Mark Amodei, Chair, Nevada 2nd District
Juan Ciscomani, Vice-Chair, Arizona 6th District
John Rutherford, Florida 5th District
Dan Newhouse, Washington 4th District
Ashley Hinson, Iowa 1st District
Michael Guest, Mississippi 3rd District
Document any construction or water transport you see happening, especially on back country roads and send it to howdy@nobigbendwall.org. We will be tracking permit compliance.
Call your state senators. Urge them to pressure TCEQ to uphold their procedural guidelines and inquire about this on your behalf.
Signs and posters against the wall are available here. The more vocal we are, the better!
Landowners will soon be able to receive free legal representation through a legal defense fund created by the Border Wall Landowner Coalition. If you’re interested in legal representation, please email landowners@conservebigbend.org. No Big Bend Wall is still seeking volunteers to help with landowner outreach.
Key Upcoming Events
June 9 — Today ! The House of Representatives will vote on the Department of Homeland Security budget, including funding for the wall
June 12 — Big Bend Birthday Bash in Ghosttown Terlingua, complete with a parade
June 22 — Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District Meeting
Want to get involved? Email howdy@nobigbendwall.org
Want to donate? Right this way.
