Activists Stage Tree Sit to Block Arizona Border Wall

Environmental activists are staging a tree sit in Lochiel, Arizona, to prevent federal contractors from destroying a 200-year-old cottonwood tree. The tree is the last remaining ancient cottonwood in a grove after three other large trees were crushed by excavators on July 27. The destruction is part of a project by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to build a double layer of 30-foot walls along the border with Mexico.

Protesters, including leaders from the Sierra Club and the Madrean Archipelago Wildlife Center, argue that the construction destroys vital biodiversity and wildlife corridors. While CBP previously promised not to cut trees containing nesting birds, contractors are largely exempt from the Endangered Species Act under the Real ID Act.

Several dozen people are currently camping on private land and rotating a person in a platform high in the tree to block its removal. The protest follows the actions of Fisher Sand & Gravel, the federal contractor responsible for the initial destruction of the grove.