El Pasoan urges National Park Service to reconsider partial closure of Big Bend National Park
Share this @internewscast.com

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Chisos Basin area of Big Bend National Park will be closed off to visitors for approximately two years starting this fall.

The National Parks Service will undertake two construction projects in the area of the park to rebuild a decades-old lodge and to replace aged waterlines throughout the popular campground there. 

A wildlife advocate out of El Paso, however, said the Chisos Basin campground is the highlight of the park and that visitors will be robbed of fully experiencing Big Bend. He is urging the NPS to reconsider their plans and analyze how they can proceed with the construction without closing off the entire Chisos Basin area. 

“It’s the coolest spot, where the best campground is, the best trails, the most popular area. Even the bears from Mexico came across and moved in there, and they love it up there. It’s only about 40 square miles, the area we’re talking about, but it’s the most scenic area, the most beautiful area. It’s one of the reasons why the park became a national park,” said Rick LoBello, chair of the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. 

According to the NPS, visitor access to the basin road, lodging units, basin campground, NPS visitor center, camper store, and surrounding trails will be closed off. They said park managers will assess what areas will be safe to open as major components of the construction project are completed. 

But LoBello said the Chisos Basin area has seen major construction before that did not require a complete closure of the area. 

“They just need to rethink this whole project and say to themselves, ‘How can we fix the restaurant? How can we take this $22 million to remake the restaurant and do it without closing off this whole section of the park?’” LoLoBello said.

“NPS has told me that the main reason why they’re going to close that whole area off is because of the danger of cars and trucks going back and forth on the road, carrying materials,” he added.

“But we have people going through El Paso carrying these giant windmill pieces, and we have what we call an escort. We just close off the road for a few minutes. Let the materials go through so it doesn’t justify closing that whole area of the park just because of a minor small construction project,” LoBello said. 

Beyond that, LoBello said he’s spoken with local business owners in the area who are concerned that the closure will cause them steep financial losses that they may not be able to recover from. 

“They say it will take two years, but we all know from construction going on in our own city that two years can become four years. That all depends on how contracts work and everything else,” LoBello said. 

LoBello has created a blog where he is encouraging El Pasoans and other people to join him in urging the NPS to reconsider their plans to close off the Chisos Basin. 

He encourages people to contact their elected representatives or call the White House Comment Line, asking them to express their concerns.
 
KTSM reached out to the NPS and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who represents the district encompassing Big Bend, for comment. We will update the story if we get a response.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

San Diego Renters Embrace ‘Speed Roommating’ Amid Rising Rent

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) Since last year, rent rates increased by 4.1% in…

Police Confirm Idaho Forest Hiker Not Travis Decker, Despite Similar Appearance

() Another potential Travis Decker sighting has gone cold. Authorities had been…

Utah River Ranger Saves Paddleboarder Caught Beneath Bridge

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah (KTVX) – Body camera footage from a rescue on…

T-Mobile Halts DEI Initiatives Amid FCC Deal Approval Process

() T-Mobile will eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion programs as it…

Is This Hawaiian Town at Risk for a Lahaina-Like Wildfire? Residents Express Worry

WAIANAE, Hawaii – When it rains sufficiently, the wide stretch of land…

Representative Frost Proposes Legislation to Combat High Rental Fees and Prohibit Tenant Credit Checks

ORLANDO, Fla. – Symphony Betters knows all too well the kinds of…

Immigration Raid Leads to Arrests: Farmworkers Detained and Tear Gas Used on Protesters

Editor’s note: affiliate KTLA reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland…

Siblings Die and Parents Hurt in New Mexico Flooding; Victims Identified

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A brother and sister, who were killed in…

BCSO Apprehends Suspect in Failed Armed Robbery Attempt

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. () — The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) apprehended…

Savannah Unveils Hostess City Food and Wine Festival

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The 2025 Hostess City Food and Wine Fest Savannah, a…

Long County Sheriff’s Department Probing Friday Morning Shooting Incident

LONG COUNTY, Ga. () — The Long County Sheriff’s Office is investigating…

AI-Driven Hotel Welcomes World Leaders and Dignitaries for Inaugural Event

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Southern Nevada’s first AI-powered hotel made headlines Thursday,…