McALLEN, Texas; The Department of Homeland Security has sued The Nature Conservancy to condem...

[douglas9]

Source: Associated Press

McALLEN, Texas — The Department of Homeland Security has sued The Nature Conservancy to condemn land in a South Texas nature preserve for the border fence.

The conservancy's Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve, which includes more than 1,000 acres along the Rio Grande near Brownsville, is home to a rare grove of native sabal palms, a South Texas native plant nursery for reforestation projects and habitat for the endangered ocelot and jaguarundi.

The government offered the conservancy $114,000 for a strip of land that would leave three-quarters of the preserve, including the property manager's home, in the no-man's land between the fence and Mexico, according to court records filed earlier this month.

The Nature Conservancy's preference is no fence and no compensation, but the offer failed to take into account the impact to the rest of preserve, Laura Huffman, The Nature Conservancy's state director, said Monday.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6186007.html

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Nothing stands between a GOPer and its ideology! n/t

[Kolesar]

2. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, immigration rates to the USA dropped to near-zero

So, bush* has bought us a few years in the "immigration debate" by starting this extreme recession. :dry:

[Dover]

4. The fence debacle is just another way to spread the wealth of contracts around to their buddies.

It doesn't have to make any sense.

They will pay one company to dig a hole and another to fill it up again. It's called
corporate welfare.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

6. Bingo

I hope Obama puts the kibbash on this stupid plan ASAP

[tbyg52]

9. You betcha.

There's one spot where they skipped a golf course. Messed up regular people's property all around it, but just skipped the golf course. That's all the proof I need that they are not serious about anything but spreading the money around to their buds.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. and, no doubt,

the companies will hire illegal immigrants to build it.

[Gman]

3. January 20th can't come fast enough

[dbackjon]

5. Obama needs to make sure this is stopped on january 20th

[Bette Noir]

7. This buried the needle on my outrage meter.

The Nature Conservancy is the cleanest, most non-contraversial conservation organization in the world. They don't sue anybody, they don't interfere with anybody's property rights; if they see a piece of land as vital to their mission, they buy it. As such, it is the darling of every right-wing outdoor enthusiast I know.

Now, the government is suing them? Because they're against private property rights, or what? Is it so important to wipe out the last few ocelots in Texas that it's worth a court case in the last couple of weeks of the administration?

January 20 can't come quickly enough.

Now, excuse me while I make a donation to The Nature Conservancy.

[Kali]

12. I have some personal experiences here in AZ that contradicts your opinion of TNC

I will give them credit for attempting to correct mistakes they have made and for usually hiring the best money can buy for their operations, but they are far from non-controversial.

[Botany]

8. Saving and spreading native plants to their natural range is very important.

I hope Obama dumps Homeland Security w/ in 2 years .....
it is a multi billion $ boondoggle .... all after W blew off
the warnings of 9/11and then we got hit.

[BrightKnight]

10. Fifty billion dollars would build or repair a lot of real infrastructure.

That amount of money would also buy a lot of real border "security". Adding a fence to the moat is not going to accomplish anything.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. K&R