As this blog previously reported (here and here), the Department of Homeland Security had requested permission to build permanent towers for the Secure Border Initiative Network on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona.

Today azcentral.com published an Associated Press story saying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made a final determination on the issue and will give the DHS a special use permit to build the towers.

According to azcentral.com:

The service reached its final assessment of the Department of Homeland Security’s proposal after soliciting and weighing public comments and receiving eight stipulations from DHS, spokesman Jose Viramontes said.

The proposal calls for placing four permanent surveillance towers and one communications tower on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge…

Viramontes said the stipulations DHS agreed to included a decommission plan if DHS were to decide the towers aren’t working as hoped and giving Fish and Wildlife the authority to eliminate the permit if DHS is out of compliance.

“But we do not expect the need for that to arise,” Viramontes said.

Tags:
wildlife, wildlife refuge, conservation, National Wildlife Refuge System, Buenos Aires NWR, Arizona