Intrepid Travel President Slams Trump Administration's Destruction of Big Bend National Park

Bypassing 31 federal conservation, environmental and resource protection laws, the Trump Administration has begun bulldozing in Big Bend National Park amid outcry and opposition from across the political spectrum.

Within the past week, federal contractors have moved heavy machinery into the iconic national park and have already cleared desert shrubs and ecologically sensitive land, multiple news outlets have reported.

Federal officials have said that the $1.7 billion construction plans include a combination of vehicle barriers, winding patrol roads and new surveillance technology to be used by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

The project, which has caused alarm far and wide as an attack on a park that belongs to the American people, marks the first time in U.S. history that the federal government has simply cancelled all environmental laws in a national park.

In response, a coalition of landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, business owners and more have spoken out, saying that the Trump Administration’s latest attack on a national park will forever change a beloved landscape.

“This decision will be remembered by generations of Texans—and all Americans—as a waste of our money and an assault on not just our iconic desert but on the values that our national parks epitomize,” said Bob Krumenaker, the park’s most recent former superintendent who now chairs the Keep Big Bend Wild advocacy group.

Six former superintendents of Big Bend National Park joined forces earlier this summer to pen a letter expressing their “grave concerns” about the Trump Administration’s construction of border barriers, roads and surveillance technology in the park, describing the plan as “unnecessary and highly destructive.”

That destruction would impact not only wildlife and natural landscapes, but would also harm the tourism industry.

“The diminishment of the area’s wild character, impeded access to the Rio Grande for recreation, and loss of opportunities to experience the darkest night sky in the nation if the infrastructure were lighted, would cause tremendous damage to the area’s economy, which is highly dependent upon tourism,” the group wrote.

Leaders in the travel industry are also speaking out about the destruction being caused in Big Bend.

In a statement issued today, Intrepid’s Travel’s North America President, Leigh Barnes, said when the landscapes we all travel to are damaged “the travel industry cannot simply look the other way.”

“If we’re going to take people to wild places, we’ve got to be prepared to stand up for them too,” Barnes said.

“Seeing bulldozers rip into Big Bend National Park is heartbreaking — especially at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon, one of the most iconic landscapes in the park,” Barnes added. “National parks are protected for a reason. They represent a decision that some places are too important and too irreplaceable to permanently alter. If that protection disappears the moment another priority competes with it, we must ask what ‘protected’ really means.”

The Trump administration has waived a long list of federal environmental and historic-preservation protections to expedite border infrastructure in and around Big Bend, with land now being cleared near Santa Elena Canyon.

“Once you start carving roads through these landscapes and clearing habitat, you can't put it back the way it was,” said Barnes, who pointed out that national parks aren’t just tourist attractions.

The open spaces now under attack are home to wildlife, communities, history and landscapes. 

“They are irreplaceable. Their survival cannot and should not be dependent on which administration is in office,” said Barnes. 

Big Bend National Park, Rio Grande (Photo Credit: Courtesy AdobeStock)

Federal government response


In a statement provided to NPR, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said the work is intended to help border patrol "detect illegal crossings, respond faster, and assist visitors in danger."

When issuing its Notice of Determination on the project the office of Homeland Security said that “it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border in the state of Texas."

However, NPR reported that illegal border crossings in the Big Bend region, an area that encompasses 517 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border, have declined markedly in recent years.

In fact, according to CBP’s own data, border crossings through the park made up the fewest number of encounters along the Texas border in fiscal year 2025, NPR reported.

According to the substack publication “Our Public Lands and Waters” the laws that are being bypassed in the Big Bend border area in order to proceed with the Trump Administration project include the Administrative Procedure Act; Antiquities Act; Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act; Archaeological Resources Protection Act; Clean Air Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Eagle Protection Act; Energy Independence and Security Act; Endangered Species Act; Farmland Protection Policy Act; Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act; Federal Cave Resources Protection Act; Federal Land Policy and Management Act; Federal Water Pollution Control Act; Migratory Bird Conservation Act; Migratory Bird Treaty Act; National Environmental Policy Act; National Fish and Wildlife Act; National Historic Preservation Act; National Park Service General Authorities Act; National Park Service Organic Act; National Trails System Act; Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; Noise Control Act; Paleontological Resources Protection Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Solid Waste Disposal Act; Wilderness Act; Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the Wild Horse and Burro Act.

How you can take action

In his statement issued today, Barnes said that Intrepid intends to keep “standing up” for the wild places that it brings tour groups to visit. 

“If you care about America’s national parks and their future legacy, please take a minute to speak up and raise awareness for what’s happening in Big Bend. It might feel like a small thing, but collectively, these actions matter,” Barnes added.

There are several ways Americans can take action and help fight back against the destruction of Big Bend.

The first step is to support the local and national organizations that are working to stop the Trump Administration. That includes sharing their posts on social media, donating to their efforts and visiting their websites to learn more about advocacy opportunities. Some of the organizations on the front lines include: Keep Big Bend Wild ; No Big Bend Wall; National Parks Conservation Association ; Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Center for Biological Diversity.

You can also reach out to your elected representatives in Congress to express opposition to the Trump Administration’s actions in Big Bend National Park. Find your Congressional representative here. Those who live in Texas, where Big Bend National Park is located, can also contact Governor Greg Abbott’s office to express opposition, along with representatives in Texas’ state congress.

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