SIERRA VISTA — About 100 miles of fencing have been built already in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border, and an additional 90 miles will be constructed in the state, a federal official announced Tuesday.

A public open house on the construction of tactical infrastructure, such as fencing and roads, along the border in the region was held at the Windmere Hotel and Conference Center in Sierra Vista.

More than 50 people were in attendance, including representatives of U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, environmental consultants, contractors and the Department of Homeland Security’s Secure Border Initiative, as well as members of the public.

“We are here this evening in a listening mode,” said Greg Gephart, deputy program manager for tactical infrastructure for Customs and Border Protection. “Our primary purpose here is to obtain your feedback, questions and information on potential sensitive environmental resources that need to be considered as we plan the construction of tactical infrastructure along the border of Arizona.”

On April 1, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security exercised his authority to waive certain environmental laws and other laws to ensure the expeditious construction of tactical infrastructure, Gephart said.

“Although the secretary’s waiver means that U.S. Customs and Border Protection no longer has any specific legal obligations under the laws that are included in the waiver, the secretary committed to the Department of Homeland Security to responsible environmental stewardship of our valuable natural and cultural resources,” he added.

During an interview with the Herald/Review last week, Sean Sullivan, spokesman for the Arizona Sierra Club, a grass-roots environmental organization, said the open house was “just a dog-and-pony show.” He said the government will do whatever it wants and does not care about input from the public.

Glenn Spencer, president of American Border Patrol, a nongovernmental agency, who attended the open house, agreed the event was not worthwhile.

“There is no information being conveyed,” he said.

But, Gephart said, the information provided by members of the public is valuable. In the past, for example, fence alignments and types of fencing were changed in Texas based on input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

People had the opportunity to write comments or privately dictate comments to a stenographer. Designated areas also were available for them to ask questions. Gephart said that in the near future project descriptions will be posted at www.borderfenceplanning.com.

Cecile Lumer, of Citizens for Border Solutions, a humanitarian group based in Bisbee, voiced her opinion.

“I said I thought the wall was a waste of our money that could have been used for health and education in this country and won’t stop the migration anyway. It will just make life more difficult for them,” she said.

Carmen Mercer, vice president of Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said she showed up at the event because she wanted to find out when the double fencing will be built along the border, as promised in the Secure Fence Act of 2006. She said she learned that only one layer of fence will be constructed until funding is available.

Bill Odle, who owns property located along Border Road next to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation area, said he is disappointed with the wall because it is overbuilt. It is stopping vehicular traffic and livestock from crossing, but it is not stopping people from crossing. Further, it is detrimental to wildlife, he claimed.

“What we should be putting up down there are vehicle barriers and barbed-wire fence to stop livestock, but it would still permit wildlife to be going back and forth. It would not stop people, but the only way you are going to stop people is with internal enforcement of laws,” he said.

Tom Dabbs, district manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Gila District, which includes Tucson, Safford and Sierra Vista, attended the event in response to a concern from a member of the state resource advisory council regarding livestock movement from Mexico in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

He said the government has proposed constructing temporary structures in the river corridor, but they won’t prevent livestock from crossing. He is interested in learning of other possibilities for solutions.

“The concern is disease transmission back and forth from Mexican livestock to the livestock on the U.S. side,” he said.

During the open house, American Border Patrol representatives set up screens displaying live camera footage along the border.

At one point, two unidentified vehicles drove on to Spencer’s ranch near Palominas. He alerted a U.S. Border Patrol agent, and a vehicle was sent to the scene. It is not clear if the suspects were found.

After that incident, Spencer boasted that his camera system is “effective.” He said it is much better than the government’s efforts.