Protesters say they want to remain at the historic cottonwood tree in Lochiel, Arizona, for as long as possible. At least one person has been arrested in connection with the tree protests.
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Conservationists defending historic trees that stand in the way of President Donald Trump’s border wall in Arizona began a “tree sit” on July 29 to stop contractors from tearing down the towering cottonwoods.
The cottonwood is the last of four hardwood trees of the species believed to have stood for 100 to 200 years along the U.S.-Mexico border in Lokiel, Arizona. Homeland Security contractors cut down the first of three trees on July 27.
Conservationists in the area rallied around the remaining trees and criticized the Department of Homeland Security for not choosing an alternative route that would not cut down the trees.
Conservationists say cottonwoods have provided people with a shady gathering place for generations. And for local wildlife, the tree is vital to the area’s diverse and rare species, including the few jaguars that may live in the United States.
“The destruction of these ancient cottonwoods is a death sentence for the entire ecosystem,” said Russ McSpadden, a conservationist with the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit founded in 1989 focused on protecting endangered species. “These magnificent cottonwoods survived for centuries, supporting wildlife through floods and droughts, but were bulldozed due to the Trump administration’s disastrous border wall.”
In a phone call with USA TODAY, McSpadden described cottonwoods as “a green ribbon that runs through the desert.”
He noted that the trees draw water to the ground, giving jaguars and ocelots a place to cross the border as they head to the Arizona mountains to hunt. As for birds, he described the cottonwoods as “housing complexes,” providing habitat for everything from owls to the legally protected Kingbird conservationists in Cassin, who say they are nesting in one of the destroyed cottonwoods.
Homeland Security officials said the trees needed to be removed to make way for the border wall promised by President Trump. Officials did not respond to questions about whether they had considered alternative routes that would not involve destroying the trees, which can grow to about 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide.
Activists participating in the Tree Sit campaign previously told USA TODAY they planned to participate in as many protests as possible.
At least one person was arrested on trespassing charges in connection with an earlier protest to stop contractors from destroying other trees. Santa Cruz County officials have not responded to requests for additional comment on whether there have been any further arrests in connection with the protests.
“Once Lochiel’s ancient cottonwoods are destroyed, they cannot be replaced,” the biology center said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and shared with USA TODAY.
The group added that the Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol “have an opportunity and a duty to prevent further damage to this irreplaceable border landscape.”
