The U.S. Department of The Interior has announced that it will transfer over 500 acres of Federal lands to the army to build roughly 70 miles of border barriers.
The announcement by the Department of the Interior comes after a presidential proclamation this February, that declared a national emergency along the border.
The text of the agreement between the Interior Department and the Army, says that 44 acres will be set aside for border wall construction. This area in San Diego county lies directly south of Otay Mountain, close to where president Trump visited a reconstructed border fence on Wednesday.
The land is currently part of the Otay Mountain Wilderness, which was created in 199 and sets aside 18,500 acres from development. The Department of Homeland Security had previously hesitated on building a physical barrier in the area, owing to its steep terrain.
The agreement gives the Army three years to build in the area. If completed, it would mark the first newly built section of border wall in San Diego County under the Trump Administration.
