By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – New photographs released on Aug. 21 by the Center for Biological Diversity of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument reveal significant clearing of protected desert land for the Trump administration’s second border wall.
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The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument sits on protected land and holds archaeological and cultural significance to the Hia C-ed O’odham and Tohono O’odham nations.
The photos show the work done at the two locations east of Quitobaquito Springs where the desert landscape has been leveled.
In a press release, the Center for Biological Diversity said the leveled areas are in one of the most culturally and ecologically significant landscapes in the Sonoran Desert. The second border wall will extend through the Quitobaquito area, which could disrupt the ecosystem and landscape.
“Contractors are using heavy construction equipment to strip protected and pristine Sonoran Desert landscapes bare to make way for industrial staging grounds and border wall dead zones,” Russ McSpadden, southwest conservation advocate at the CBD, said. “The Trump administration has already shown what happens when it treats our beloved public lands as expendable, and now that destruction is advancing toward Quitobaquito.”
Construction has also closed the roads along the southern border of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument since July 31, cutting off all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The CBD says this can lead to damage going undocumented.
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The photos follow the recent lawsuit the Center for Biological Diversity filed against the Trump administration for failing to finalize the Endangered Species Act protections.
13 News reached out to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment but did not hear back.
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