Tucson, Ariz., – On September 21, 2023, the Department of Justice shared that, “Two cases between Arizona and Federal officials involving shipping containers were voluntarily dismissed on Sept. 15.” Further down the article they went on to share, “Because Arizona has resolved its trespass and remediated or paid to remediate the damage to federal property, the United States determined that its lawsuit was no longer necessary and voluntarily dismissed the litigation.” To read the whole article visit, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-shipping-container-cases-between-arizona-and-federal-officials-dismissed.
“This is great news for all citizens of the U.S. and Arizona,” shared Coronado National Forest Supervisor Kerwin S. Dewberry. “Through communication on the ground, we were able to work together to find a solution without having the added expense of litigation and time associated with a lawsuit. I want to thank the State of Arizona for working with us on finding a solution.” Remediations already put in place along the border between February and the end of July 2023, by the state:
- Replaced or repaired five damaged cattle guards along the haul route.
- Replaced all damaged roadway infrastructure bridge guardrails, downed signage, and damaged culvert.
- Extensive recontouring of the altered landscape along the border container placement to minimize future erosion issues.
- Bucked and stacked downed trees and made them available to the public.
- Narrowed roadway through placement of physical barriers such as boulders and berms.
- Removed obstructions to the natural flows of the waterways.
- Placed physical barriers to reduce the risk along the roadway where safety hazards were identified.
Additional funding was given in a lump sum of $2,126,030 through a Collection Agreement for continued work which involves: - Reseeding
Additional funding was given in a lump sum of $2,126,030 through a Collection Agreement for continued work which involves:
- Reseeding all 40 acres of disturbed area.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. - Additional erosion control and earthwork that involves recontouring of the landscape near waterways.
- Crushing and stockpiling surface rock replacement material which will then be hauled and spread onto the former haul route. This material will replace road surfacing material that was lost due to the haul traffic.
- Performing invasive species treatment and monitoring for three years.
The Sierra Vista Ranger District, Coronado National Forest, remains open along the border for visitors. Please continue to recreate responsibly.
