If They Build It (The Wall), It Could Close (The State Park)

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, TX has a World Birding Center, which attracts bird watchers and nature enthusiasts from around the world. It’s also in the direct path of one of the sections of the planned border wall, for which Congress has authorized some funding.

According to Scott Nicol with Sierra Club RGV, if the wall is built, the park’s visitor’s center would end up on the U.S. side, with trails on the Mexican side. Additionally, the land grant from the Bentsen family creating the park states that, if the park is no longer accessible to the public, it goes back to the family’s estate. As such, “We could not only lose access to the park, the State of Texas could lose that entire park,” Nicol told the Rio Grande Guardian.

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