The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current, August 01, 2018, Page 28, Image 27

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    28
Wednesday, August 1, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Scientists warn of border wall’s impacts on biodiversity
By Steve Lundeberg
Correspondent
CORVALLIS – A con-
tinuous wall on the border
between the United States
and Mexico would harm a
multitude of animal species
by fragmenting their geo-
graphic ranges, Oregon State
University distinguished pro-
fessor of ecology William
Ripple has concluded, sup-
ported by thousands of other
scientists around the globe.
Ripple is one of 16 co-
authors from the U.S. and
Mexico, including four mem-
bers of the National Academy
of Sciences, of a paper pub-
lished today in BioScience
that outlines the wall’s
impacts on biodiversity.
So far, more than 2,500
scientists from 43 coun-
tries and six continents
have endorsed the article as
signatories.
The authors include Rob
Peters and Jennie Miller of
the conservation nonprofit
Defenders of Wildlife; Peters
is the lead author of the
paper.
Ripple, Peters, Miller
and the others describe
three ways the border wall
and other security measures
would threaten biodiversity:
by not adhering to environ-
mental laws, eliminating
and fragmenting animal and
plant populations and habi-
tats, and devaluing binational
research and conservation
investments.
Some of the
affected animals are
charismatic as well
as threatened.
— William Ripple
“Some of the affected ani-
mals are charismatic as well
as threatened,” Ripple said,
noting the Mexican gray
wolf, Sonoran pronghorn,
Peninsular bighorn sheep
and jaguar. “A continuous
wall would disconnect any
jaguars and ocelots in the
U.S. from their major range
in Mexico. And it’s not just
solid walls that are the issue;
certain types of fencing can
be a complete barrier to indi-
vidual wildlife species. All of
that should be considered.”
Ripple and the other
authors and signatories urge
the U.S. government to
follow, rather than waive in
the name of homeland secu-
rity, federal environmental
laws such as the Endangered
Species Act and the National
Environmental Policy Act.
The paper includes a four-
point call to action:
• Congress should ensure
the Department of Homeland
Security follows environ-
mental laws, and the DHS
should:
• Conduct surveys of at-
risk species, habitats and eco-
logical resources prior to new
construction;
• Mitigate environmen-
tal harm as completely as
possible;
• Work to facilitate scien-
tific research in the border
region.
As of 2017, DHS had
constructed 1,050 kilome-
ters of pedestrian and vehicle
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barriers, the paper notes.
“The border extends about
3,200 kilometers and bisects
many important habitat types
from desert to forest to scrub-
lands to mountain ranges,”
said Ripple. “These are
important wildlife habitats,
high in biological diversity,
that span both sides of the
border. I hope national lead-
ers will listen to our conser-
vation message.”
The border region, the
paper states, is home to 1,506
native terrestrial and freshwa-
ter animal and plant species.
Sixty-two of those species
are listed as critically endan-
gered, endangered, or vul-
nerable by the International
Union of Conversation of
Nature.
Scientists are invited
to join as signatories here.
In 2017, Ripple led an
international team in issuing
“World Scientists’ Warning
to Humanity: A Second
Notice,” which garnered
more than 20,000 signatures
from 184 nations. Scientists
can still join as signato-
ries on that article as well
at http://scientistswarning.
forestry.oregonstate.edu/.
A continuous wall
would disconnect any
jaguars and ocelots in
the U.S. from their major
range in Mexico. And it’s
not just solid walls ...
certain types of fencing...
— William Ripple
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