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Activists are protesting the construction pathway for President Trump’s border wall in Arizona because it would require the removal of an ancient cottonwood tree.
A demonstrator was arrested on Wednesday for trespassing after protesting plans that would include chopping down a Fremont cottonwood tree, estimated to be 200 to 250 years old.
Three similar trees were cut down earlier this week.
“Destroying these ancient cottonwoods is a death sentence for an entire ecosystem,” Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
“These magnificent cottonwoods survived centuries, nourishing wildlife through floods and drought, only to be bulldozed for the Trump administration’s disastrous border wall. The San Rafael Valley is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in North America,” he added.
The tree’s deep roots are used to tap underground water tables, as it can consume up to 200 gallons of water per day.
Their heavy water use is a natural indicator to animals, attracting jaguars, ocelots, black bears, pronghorn and hundreds of bird species.
Jaguars are considered “near threatened” in the IUCN Red List and is seen sparingly in Arizona and Mexico.
McSpadden urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to complete comprehensive biological and cultural resource surveys to identify sensitive resources and avoid further destruction.
“The ancient cottonwoods of Lochiel cannot be replaced once they are destroyed,” McSpadden wrote in his letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“DHS and CBP have an opportunity and an obligation to prevent further harm to this irreplaceable borderlands landscape. We urge you to immediately suspend construction activities and take action to protect the ecological and cultural resources of the San Rafael Valley,” he added on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity.
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