More Updates:

No word on UA basketball recruit Jennings' SAT scoreArizona Wildcats swim star sets American record at Olympic trialsPet owners scrambling to find pups spooked by fireworksFBI joins probe of noose found in YumaFDA reports more cases of salmonella illnessesMan drowns in Lake Havasu channelFatal AZ F-16 crash caused by pilot blackout

Related articles:

Chertoff may void judge's order to halt border fence Feds: Halting border fence would cause eco-harm River treasure vs. U.S. security Judge delays San Pedro border fence constructionJudge grants temporary delay on San Pedro border fence constructionEnvironmental groups ask federal judge to halt border fence constructionSan Pedro border fence gets Chertoff go-aheadJudge grants temporary delay on San Pedro border fence constructionAttorney: Halting border barrier construction along San Pedro River will hurt environment Federal judge sides with enviros, stalls border-fence work

Other articles by Brady Mccombs:

Traffic via Sasabe may surge as 33 miles of road are pavedCasi listo camino Sáric-Sásabe Body is found, pot seized on border Border agents find 5 dead, rescue more than a dozen Reúnen a bebé con sus padres Sobre mi cadáver: entrevista a Ned Norris 7 bodies of illegal immigrants discovered in desert O'odham chair angry that feds won't discuss illegal immigration's effect on the reservation Feds plan 57 towers in AZ to watch for illegal immigrants Parents may lose baby they had smuggled across the border

Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanic Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator Trades/Construction
Lectra-Serv, Inc
Electricians & Helpers Trades/Construction
Paragon Electric
Electricians Trades/Construction
Wentz and Patrick Construction
Carpenters & Helpers General
Prestige maintenance USA
Custodian General
ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE
DISPATCHER/SECRETARY

Plans for two miles of border fencing in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area are moving forward following Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s decision Monday to invoke a waiver that allows the agency to bypass certain laws.

It marks the first time Homeland Security has used the waiver in Southeastern Arizona, the busiest stretch of U.S.-Mexican border for illegal immigration.

Chertoff had used it twice before to move ahead with fence construction: in 2005 in San Diego, and in January of this year on the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range in Southwestern Arizona.

The move puts an end to a legal battle that had begun on Oct. 10 when U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle issued a temporary restraining order for construction in the area in response to an appeal submitted by Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club.

Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club argued that the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area is an irreplaceable national treasure that would be irrevocably damaged by the fencing. They say that Homeland Security failed to carry out an adequate environmental impact statement.

Homeland Security officials refute the dire predictions from environmentalists. Chertoff has said the fence would protect the environment by cutting down on foot traffic and trash.

Chertoff’s decision elicited criticism from environmentalists.

“We can secure our borders while we protect our public lands,” said Sean Sullivan with the Sierra Club's Rincon (southeastern Arizona) Group. “Bulldozing the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and our important environmental protections is not necessary to manage the border.”