Humanitarian groups are working alongside officials from Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge to prevent deaths of migrants crossing the border while keeping the environmental integrity of the refuge intact.
Volunteers from No More Deaths and Samaritans and Humane Borders have been ticketed for littering after leaving water jugs in the refuge for migrants traveling trails near the U.S.-Mexico border.
In July 2009, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asked the two opposing sides to work together to resolve the issue, said Sarah Launius, a No More Deaths spokesperson.
Launius said No More Deaths recognizes the importance of the two sides working cooperatively.
“We are accountable as stewards of the land, and we are willing and desire to work alongside them (refuge managers) to maintain our Sonoran Desert,” she said.
What resulted was a proposal for up to eight new water stations throughout the refuge, in addition to the three pre-existing stations maintained by Humane Borders.
In April, officials began asking for public input about the proposal. Refuge manager Michael Hawkes said there have been a lot of public comments, not only from both ends of the political spectrum, but also over a wide geographic area. He said people have called all the way from Wisconsin, Florida and Oregon.
Officials will review the public input and hope to make a decision by the middle of May, Hawkes said.
While there is little research about the effectiveness of water stations, Launius said that there is anecdotal evidence that the water available in highly migrated areas is saving lives.
“We provide food, water and medical care to very desperate men, women and children who are moving through the border region,” she said. “The gift of water is a life-saving gift.”
