Ever since the federal government announced plans to build a border wall in Big Bend National Park, the Texas landmark has been the center of a public-lands firestorm. The project sparked numerous court cases and protests, with the future of the park still unclear.
All the while, some state representatives have been working to significantly expand the site. The Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act (H.R. 2323) would add over 6,000 acres to the park.
What Does the Bill Do?
Former Texas Representative Tony Gonzales introduced the bill into the House in March. After he resigned from Congress due to an ethics investigation, Texas Republican August Pfluger took over as sponsor of the bill.
The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 6,100 acres of land to add to the park. The area lies along Terlingua Creek, an important water source in the region, as well as a significant habitat for rare and endangered species such as the Rio Grande silvery minnow, yellow-billed cuckoo, and Mexican stoneroller. Most of the land is currently part of Fulcher Ranch, which would donate the land to the National Park Service (NPS).
For context, Big Bend National Park currently encompasses 801,163 acres.
“Fulcher Ranch includes more than four miles of frontage along Terlingua Creek and contains important riparian habitat and early pioneer heritage resources, while adjacent private lands contain similar natural and cultural resources. Private landowners within the proposed expansion also supported the boundary adjustment,” a summary from the House Committee on Natural Resources said. The land can only be acquired via donation or exchange.
Creating a new national park or changing the borders of an existing one requires an act of Congress. The bill had its first hearing in the House Committee on Natural Resources on Sept. 14 and was referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, where it awaits further action.
Why Does It Matter?
In the context of the massive uproar over the border wall in Big Bend, public lands supporters see this potential addition as a major win. Very little land in Texas — only about 4% — is publicly owned, one of the lowest rates in the nation. At over 800,000 acres in size, Big Bend National Park represents a significant portion (20%) of the state’s roughly 4 million acres of public land.
Laiken Jordahl, National Public Lands Advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, praised the bill. “This bill is a slam dunk for Big Bend. It protects critical riparian habitat along Terlingua Creek, supports cottonwood recovery, and expands Big Bend National Park. As this administration wages an all-out assault on national parks and public lands in Big Bend and across the country, expanding this protected acreage will give wildlife like yellow-billed cuckoos more room to thrive and ensure future generations can lie along Terlingua Creek and find a little peace beneath the cottonwood gallery,” he said in a statement to GearJunkie.
