The Department of Homeland Security and the Arizona Trail Association discussed the closure of the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the plans to construct a double-layered border wall through the Coronado National Memorial.
Matthew Nelson, Executive Director of Arizona Trail Association, and Eamon Harrity, Program Manager at Sky Island Alliance Wildlife, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the trail closure.
“It is a colossal change to the landscape”,Harrity said. “They are dynamiting our national parks to make way not just for one wall but for 2 parallel 30 foot walls”.
Beyond the trail, the construction that is starting to take place is effecting the environment around it, causing any species larger than a house cat to lose their homes and environments.
The department of homeland security has not released any specific timeline of each step of the plan. Experts have looked at the environment around the trail and realized that with all of the valuable resources in the area, is it worth the risk.
“Is it worth it. Is it worth it to fulfil this promise”‘ Nelson said. “To build a wall through an area that has historically has never needed one because of the natural topography acting as a barrier”.
Trump Administration officials said there is a possibility of the trail reopening in late 2027 at the intersection of Yaqui Ridge Trail and Joe’s Canyon Trail but added it would leave hikers with restricted access.
“These are our shared resources,” Nelson said when talking about the government and their power in the situation. “Were supposed to be at stewards and right now what were seeing is landscape transformation, and what many people would consider to be desecration.”
