The last of four cottonwood trees slated for removal for planned border-wall construction in Lochiel, Arizona, was cut down on October 5, 2026. Activists called the tree “Grandmother” and had maintained a tree-sit around it for roughly 70 days. The dispute has focused both on the construction project and on whether safeguards for wildlife were followed during earlier tree removals.
What happened in Lochiel
Lochiel is a remote community in Arizona’s San Rafael Valley, east of Nogales and alongside the U.S.-Mexico border. On October 5, contractors removed the final cottonwood in a group of four identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for removal in connection with planned border-wall construction. CBP said all four had been removed by that date. The Washington Post reported the final removal.
The three other trees were removed earlier, with July the consistent date in reports, although some coverage describes the first removals as occurring in June. Activists began a tree-sit around the remaining tree in late July and kept it up for about 70 days. The name “Grandmother” was used by activists; it is not a botanical or official designation.
How old was the cottonwood?
Its age has been described as an estimate, not a verified measurement. The Washington Post put it in a range of 150 to 250 years; regional reporting described the grove as more than 200 years old or up to 250 years old. Kate Scott, an activist involved in the tree-sit, said, “They were over 150 years old, and they are a universe unto themselves, each one.”
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What is known about wildlife safeguards
CBP’s account, as reported by news organizations, was that preconstruction surveys found no active migratory-bird nests and that environmental monitors were present before the October work. Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said, “CBP recognizes the importance of protecting the environment, wildlife, and cultural resources during border wall construction.”
Conservationists pointed to a CBP letter promising preconstruction surveys and buffer zones for active nests during Arizona’s nesting season. In July coverage, AZPM reported the Sierra Club’s claim that environmental monitors were not onsite during demolition of the first three trees; CBP did not immediately respond to AZPM’s request for comment at that time. That earlier allegation does not establish what happened during the October removal. The reports available do not resolve whether the promised safeguards were followed for the earlier removals.
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What activists and officials said
Sierra Club borderlands coordinator Erick Meza said, “Once again, rushed destruction has claimed one of the most iconic and biodiverse areas in the entire Arizona-Sonora border.” CBP’s statements on surveys and monitoring offer the agency’s account of the October operation; the conservation groups’ objections concern the earlier removals as well as the protection commitments. Neither account, as reported, settles the full dispute.
What is reported about arrests and citations
Enforcement figures are attributed accounts, not an official final tally. The Washington Post reported demonstrators’ estimate of more than 50 agents, about 10 arrests, and another 10 citations. KJZZ relayed protesters’ account that 10 people were cited and released and 10 were arrested. CBP did not answer reporters’ questions about arrests in the coverage summarized here.
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How the tree removal fits the larger project
News reports attached different totals to the broader border-wall expansion: WBUR reported $47 billion for hundreds of miles of new wall, while The Washington Post reported $46.5 billion for the expansion. The figures have different stated scope and are not reconciled in those reports; neither is the cost of removing the cottonwoods.
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