Texas land commissioner sends cease and desist for alleged illegal land clearing in Hudspeth County
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A Texas state agency is pushing back on what it calls illegal entry and unauthorized clearing of more than a mile of state land near the Rio Grande. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham sent a cease and desist letter Friday to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a contractor working on border wall construction.
In a release, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) said Buckingham sent the letter after finding that federal contractor Barnard Construction illegally entered and cleared more than a mile of state land.
The letter claimed the contractor CBP hired trespassed across and altered GLO-managed state lands in Presidio County without permission. The land at issue also partly falls under Hudspeth County.
The Texas GLO said its leases don't allow land modifications, excavations or construction without the office's written consent.
“Significant grazing acreage was disrupted by this unauthorized activity that has devalued our lease and diminished our ability to generate future revenue for the schoolchildren of Texas,” said Commissioner Buckingham in a news release.
The letter included a map with areas that match an online property sale listing for the Moody Bennett Ranch, which extends across Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties.
Online Presidio County property records show that Trans Pecos Ice LLC owns parcels in that same area, which match the GLO's map included in Buckingham's letter.
(Courtesy: Texas General Land Office)
The Texas GLO said Trans Pecos Ice LLC has been told they're in breach of their lease agreement for allowing unauthorized access. The office told it to take immediate action.
Additionally, the GLO demanded any and all state land damaged by the reported activity be restored to its original condition.
Barnard was asked to work with the CBP and lessee to develop a reclamation proposal plan for the GLO to approve.
“The people of Texas entrusted the General Land Office with more than 13 million acres of state land, and we take that responsibility seriously,” Commissioner Buckingham said. “We will work with our federal partners to keep the southern border secured, but we will not compromise the integrity of Texas state property to do it. State land is damaged and it must be restored.”
Texas State Senator Cesar Blanco shared his support for Buckingham's letter Friday.
"I applaud Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham’s decision to order an immediate halt to land-clearing activities related to border wall construction and require a more transparent process. This is an essential step toward protecting Texas' sovereignty and ensuring proper oversight," the senator said in a statement.
Read the full cease and desist letter below.
