CBP Continues to Ignore Community Input on Proposed New Facility, Forces Access to TILT’s Blind Bay Preserve
Clayton, NY - Despite overwhelming community support for placing U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s (CBP) proposed new facility in the I-81/Rte 12 Cloverleaf area, CBP continues to ignore stakeholder input and pursue the Thousand Island Land Trust’s (TILT) Blind Bay Preserve as the preferred site for the proposed 50,000 sq.ft. industrial scale Border Patrol facility.
On July 23, 2024, many community stakeholders, including TILT, received a letter from CBP stating that the federal government was working with the Department of Justice “to file a Declaration of Taking (DT) for right-of-entry” to the Blind Bay Preserve to conduct environmental and other studies. Under a federal Declaration of Taking, CBP and their contractors would have been granted almost immediate access to Blind Bay and a resolution in the courts would have been unlikely before the studies were completed.
In light of this, TILT worked diligently to negotiate a compromise with CBP and DOJ that allows right-of-entry to the Blind Bay, but on the Land Trust’s terms. Under this agreement, TILT’s staff and environmental experts will be able to closely monitor and document any surveys carried out by CBP, and receive copies of all studies completed and data collected by CBP and its contractors.
The following quote can be attributed to Thousand Islands Land Trust Executive Director, Jake Tibbles:
“With this action, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) is blatantly ignoring the community’s voice. It comes mere weeks after public meetings where approximately 800 community members; local, state, and federal elected officials; and NYS DEC staff were unified in urging CBP to evaluate alternative sites adjacent to the Route 12/Route 81 Cloverleaf. We are incredibly frustrated that CBP is spending taxpayer dollars studying options the River community has clearly opposed.”
