AZMEX SPECIAL 16-11-12

AZMEX SPECIAL 16 NOV 2012

Note: evidently the drug cartels extensive drug and human smuggling
activities result in no problems, despite what our lying eyes see of
the cut fences, tons of trash, abandoned vehicles, occasional body
and cross country tracks. BTW, not a whole lot of industrial or
ag activity out there.


Sonoran pronghorn threatened by water issues, coalition says
2012-11-16T00:00:00Z 2012-11-16T00:10:14Z
Sonoran pronghorn threatened by water issues, coalition says
Andrew Boven Cronkite News Service Arizona Daily Star

http://azstarnet.com/news/state-and-regional/sonoran-pronghorn-
threatened-by-water-issues-coalition-says/
article_523e99c9-80c6-53b6-8579-fb838bf256e5.html

WASHINGTON - A new report lists the endangered Sonoran pronghorn as
one of the species most threatened by water problems across the nation.

The pronghorn was one of 17 species identified Wednesday by the
Endangered Species Coalition as threatened by water-quality issues or
a lack of water in 10 different watersheds.

For pronghorns, which live in the Sonoran Desert between Southwest
Arizona and northern Mexico, problems include a lack of rainfall,
water-quality problems from industrial and agricultural runoff and
habitat damage from Border Patrol activities, among other factors,
the report said.

Leda Huta, the coalition's executive director, said the timing and
duration of rainfall in the desert is vital for the pronghorn's
survival for several reasons.

"It's not just water, but also what they're eating," Huta said.
"Without water, they're not going to have food."

Another problem is off-road activity by Border Patrol agents. That
damages vegetation that the herds graze on, said Tierra Curry, a
conservation biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of
the groups that make up the coalition.

"It changes the nature of the area," Curry said of border activities,
pointing out that the border fence divides pronghorn herds between
the U.S. and Mexico.

"The fence is certainly a problem because it separates the population
in Mexico and the population in the U.S.," Curry said.

But the Border Patrol challenged that claim, saying it works to
protect the environment while doing its job of protecting the border.

"The preservation of our valuable natural and cultural resources is
of great importance to Customs and Border Protection, and we are
fully engaged in efforts that consider the environment as we work to
secure our nation's borders," the agency said in a written statement
Wednesday.

The statement said the agency's work in the Barry M. Goldwater Range
in Arizona, where it "has funded mitigation and recovery efforts for
the endangered Sonoran pronghorn, is an example of our commitment" to
the environment.

The report, "Water Woes: How dams, diversions, dirty water and
drought put America's wildlife at risk," is the latest by the
coalition, which releases a report every year listing areas that are
at greatest danger from a different environmental threat.

Environmental groups nominate species that are reviewed by
scientists, who put together a final list. Huta said the coalition
chose species that "aren't a lost cause," where human changes could
alter the situation.
"They wanted species where we can highlight what can be done," Huta
said.

She said people can help by cutting water use and reducing their
carbon footprint, which she said contributes to global warming, which
can lead to drought.

Pronghorns were listed as an endangered species in 1967. Officials
estimate that there are only about 500 in the wild, about 100 of
which are on the U.S. side of the border.