Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the department would withdraw and transfer administrative jurisdiction over about 110,000 acres of land along the U.S.-Mexico border to the Department of the Army.
The Interior said the move is to safeguard natural and cultural resources in the region and will be in effect for three years.
“Transfer of the management of this land to the Army will facilitate military engagement to prevent unauthorized human activity in ecologically sensitive areas along the southern border, which can be harmed by repeated foot traffic, unregulated vehicle use, and the creation of informal trails or camps,” the department said.
Transferring the lands will also allow the military to assist the Border Patrol with constructing and maintaining border security infrastructure without delays that could come with competing land uses, the Interior said.
