In a Tuesday letter, more than 140 Texas businesses urged Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to protect public access to the Rio Grande and oppose federal plans to build steel border barriers at nearly every river access point in Big Bend National Park.
The businesses — mostly river outfitters, recreation groups and other area businesses — warn that Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) plan to build permanent barriers and roads through the canyon corridor would devastate the region’s river recreation economy. The action also threatens local businesses and would prevent visitors from experiencing one of the nation’s most treasured wilderness landscapes.
“Generations of Texans have built their lives and businesses around the Rio Grande, but these plans would threaten it all,” said Billy Bartko, owner of Far Flung Outdoor Center, an adventure resort in nearby Terlingua. “To Washington D.C., this is just another construction project. But to all of us in West Texas, it’s a matter of our survival.”
The businesses warned that CBP’s current plans would end commercial and recreational river access in Big Bend National Park while providing no clear border security benefit. In an emailed statement, the groups emphasized that there’s no recent documentation of unauthorized vehicle crossings through the park, adding that there’s no vehicle access from Mexico at many of the locations where barriers have been proposed.
The Big Bend Sector covers 517 miles of border — more than a quarter of the entire U.S.-Mexico boundary — but the area accounted for just 1.3% of total border apprehensions last year. Inside the park itself, that figure drops to 0.045%.
On June 9, the Trump White House’s Department of Homeland Security waived nearly every environmental, public health and cultural resource protection law to fast-track construction in Big Bend National Park — the first time such waivers have been applied inside a national park.
In their Tuesday letter, the businesses urged the Texas Republican leaders to rescind the waiver of federal, state and local laws within the national park to preserve the ecosystem.
“Our economy depends on access to the Rio Grande,” Bartko said. “We can protect the border without sacrificing our local businesses and Texas’ natural heritage. We are urging our Senators and Governor to step in and stop this project before this destroys our livelihoods.”
In 2024, Big Bend National Park drew 561,459 visitors, who spent an estimated $56.8 million in surrounding communities and generated $63.7 million in total economic output for the region.
“Our local businesses depend heavily on tourism from the outdoor recreation economy,” said Sara Ryza with the Big Bend Tourism Alliance. “Every room booked, meal ordered and gas tank filled keeps our regional economy going. Cutting off access to the Rio Grande and destroying the most beloved stretches of Big Bend National Park would directly threaten the businesses and communities that depend on visitors experiencing Big Bend. Our elected officials must act before it’s too late.”
