FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4, 2008

Contact: Annie Boehnke Washington Press Secretary (202) 225-1640

CONGRESSMAN HENRY CUELLAR ANNOUNCES PROJECT TO ERADICATE CANE ALONG RIVER AND IMPROVE BORDER SECURITY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar joined the City of Laredo and U.S. Customs and Border Protection today to announce a comprehensive plan to remove and control Carrizo cane along the Rio Grande River near Laredo. Eradication of the cane will enhance Border Patrol efforts by improving the line of sight for both the Remote Video Surveillance System and U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Carrizo cane, a non-native grass, grows an average of 15-feet tall in dense stands as wide as 300 feet along the river. Its height and thickness block the sight between Border Patrol agents and the Rio Grande River. The special project will be administered by Customs and Border Patrol as a pilot to compare four methods of Carrizo cane eradication. The pilot will remove 16.1 miles of the cane and will proceed in five annual phases beginning in 2008.

“Carrizo cane presents unnecessary obstacles and danger for border security,” Congressman Cuellar said. “By implementing a pilot project to test methods for safe and environmentally responsible eradication, the Laredo Sector will not only establish a safer and more secure border in Laredo, it will provide solutions that effect better eradication methods all along the river and elsewhere.”

“The City of Laredo is proud to help the Border Patrol with the Carrizo cane eradication program,” said Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas.  “Homeland security has always been my priority for this city, and by removing the cane, the United States Border Patrol will not only be better able to keep our country safe, but just as importantly, our city.”

Congressman Cuellar has worked with agencies at the federal, state and local level for more than a year to discuss the impact of Carrizo cane on the local environment and border security. Concerned that Border Patrol agents safely and more effectively operate in their security efforts, Congressman Cuellar encouraged the participation of all voices in discussing environmentally sound eradication efforts, in respect to border security and ecosystems along the river.

In an effort to secure the border while remaining sensitive to the environment and land conservation, Customs and Border Protection conducted environmental and biological impact assessments. Reports from those assessments were presented at a public meeting in Laredo, were open to public comment for 30 days, and are now on file and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas State Historical Preservation Office. Texas Soil and Water and local environmental academics are informed of the project status, and the project is in full compliance with all environmental laws and regulations

Carrizo cane is an invasive species that originates in the Mediterranean. It is among the fastest growing terrestrial plants in the world, provides no known food sources or habitat for wildlife, and uses large amounts of water to supply its rapid rate of growth. Along the Rio Grande, it captures its needed water from the river, impeding the flow of water and blocking native vegetative species that thrive there.

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Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110th Congress.  Accessibility to constituents, education, health care and economic development are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Senior Whip.