Washington
DC Office
307 Dirksen Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Wyoming Office
P.O. Box 22201
Casper, WY 82602
307-261-6413
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Contact: Cameron Hardy
202-224-6441 |
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Thomas Aims To Protect Border, National Treasures
Amendment provides cooperation between federal land agencies, border patrol |
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| Senator Craig Thomas addresses the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony June 25, 2005 for the visitor center in Grand Teton National Park. Thomas is the Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee. |
April 5th, 2006 - WASHINGTON – An amendment by U.S. Senator Craig Thomas will both increase border security and better protect our national treasures in the process.
“Border security activities take a significant toll on the park operations and its staff. Customs and Border Protection agents are not always available to patrol our federal land along the border. This forces the Park Service to decide whether to provide escorts to park researchers and other scientists, or pursue smugglers crossing the border,” Thomas said.
Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and other federally owned resources have become a hot spot for illegal border crossings. “Over the last two years, park rangers have arrested 385 felony smugglers; seized 40,000 pounds of marijuana; and interdicted 3,800 illegal immigrants,” Thomas said.
“There’s a serious need for better cooperation between federal land officials and border patrol when it comes to security. The efforts up until now seem to rob land managers of already scarce resources,” Thomas said.
The Thomas amendment directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to increase Customs and Border Protection personnel to secure federal lands and National Parks along the borders.
It also requires federal land resource training for Customs and Border Protection agents that will be dedicated to federal land border security in order to minimize their impact on natural resources.
The amendment provides unmanned aerial vehicles, aerial assets, remote video surveillance camera systems, and sensors on federal land along the border.
“Our national treasures and resources are on the front line of border security. Thirty-nine percent of the southern border is under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior,” Thomas said.
“While I understand that the Park Service law enforcement will inevitably play a role in border security, we need to keep their jobs focused on protecting the park, not our international borders. This amendment will ultimately do two things, protect our borders and protect our national treasures.”
The Secretary of Interior will be required to conduct an inventory of the costs incurred to the National Park Service (NPS) relating to border security activities and submit the recommendations to Congress.
Thomas is the Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee. The Senate is currently considering immigration reform proposals.
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