Abbott Vows To Expand Border ‘Barrier’
Gov. Greg Abbott vowed last week at a border security summit to build a barrier to slow the flow of migrants through the state’s southern border.
Abbott said details would be forthcoming for the wall, which would be part of a new enforcement plan administered by several state agencies, ranging from the governor’s office to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He said he intends to sign legislation appropriating more than $1 billion for enhanced border security.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Abbott said. “The state is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally.”
The president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) blasted Abbott’s actions.
“Governor Abbott stated that he intends to use Texas state budget dollars not for education, improving our electric grid or for Texas roads and highways,” said Domingo Garcia, LULAC president. “Instead, he says he will continue to build a wall and other barriers along the border with Mexico. This is a huge waste of taxpayer money, and very likely illegal.”
LULAC plans to take legal action on grounds that the federal government has authority over immigration and borders, not individual states.
Lumber price surge not affecting timber prices
One economic consequence of the pandemic lockdown has been a surge in lumber prices of more than 300%, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. However, landowners who grow and harvest timber are still facing stagnant prices, as they have since the housing crash of 2008. At $30 a ton in Texas, the price has remained about the same for the past decade.
The challenge for timber owners is an abundance of ready-to-harvest timber, according to TFS.
“Landowners have been struggling to get their timber harvested for a while,” said Rob Hughes, executive director of the Texas Forestry Association. “The mills are producing more wood than they have before, but it’s still not to the capacity of how much timber is being grown in their areas.”
A consolidation of sawmills is partly to blame. In 1997 Texas had 168 active sawmills, a number that has dwindled today to about 50. Some landowners have opted to supplement their forest income through carbon markets, which are bought by companies or governments to offset greenhouse gas emissions. One drawback is that the credits can only go to timberland owners if the forest is at risk of being harvested.