1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent to urge you to oppose the proposed destruction of irreplaceable habitat in Big Bend National Park through the construction of a new CBP road across Mariscal Mountain and along the Mariscal Canyon rim. This proposal represents exactly the kind of unnecessary environmental damage that our federal agencies are supposed to prevent. Big Bend is not empty land. It is a living, protected landscape containing some of the most important wildlife habitat in Texas. The Mariscal Canyon area supports one of the most significant concentrations of nesting Peregrine Falcons in Texas. These birds return year after year to the same cliffs to breed and raise their young. They are highly sensitive to disturbance near their nesting sites, and blasting, bulldozing, and heavy construction in this habitat could cause devastating reproductive impacts. The destruction would not affect only Peregrine Falcons. Big Bend is also home to numerous bat species, including the federally endangered Mexican long-nosed bat. Cave and cliff habitats are fragile ecosystems, and disturbance from major construction can have consequences for species that depend on these places for survival. (National Park Service⁠) The question that must be asked is simple: why is this level of destruction necessary? There are already existing roads and infrastructure in the area. Destroying a rare and scientifically valuable ecosystem should not be the first option when alternatives exist. A national park is not merely a scenic backdrop or unused acreage waiting for development. It is a promise that some places will be protected for future generations. For decades, scientists, National Park Service biologists, researchers, and volunteers have invested enormous effort studying and protecting these species. The result is some of the most valuable long-term wildlife knowledge available in this region. To knowingly damage the very habitat those scientists worked to understand would be a profound failure of stewardship. Many Americans, including many people of faith, believe that humans have a responsibility to care for the world we have been given. If we claim to value creation, conservation, and responsibility, then destroying rare habitats when less damaging alternatives exist is not stewardship. It is neglect. I ask you to use your authority to demand a full review of this project, require meaningful consideration of alternatives, and ensure that the protection of Big Bend’s wildlife and wilderness is not sacrificed unnecessarily. The United States has protected places like Big Bend because some things are more valuable than what we can build, extract, or destroy. Once these cliffs, habitats, and ecosystems are damaged, we cannot simply recreate what was lost. Please stand for responsible stewardship of our public lands and oppose unnecessary destruction in Big Bend National Park.