Zinke: Border wall 'complex,' faces geographic challenges


              Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks at the Interior Department in Washington, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, after signing an order lifting a moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands and a related order on coal royalties.  (AP Photo/Molly Riley)
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks at the Interior Department in Washington, Wednesday, March 29, 2017, after signing an order lifting a moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands and a related order on coal royalties. (AP Photo/Molly Riley)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says geographic and physical challenges will make it difficult to build the "big, beautiful wall" that President Donald Trump has promised on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Zinke told reporters Wednesday that building a wall "is complex in some areas," including a national park and the Rio Grande River, which twists through much of the 2,000-mile border.

Zinke told the Public Lands Council, a group that represents western ranchers, on Tuesday that the U.S. is not going to "cede" the Rio Grande to Mexico by putting a wall on the U.S. side, nor will the wall be built "in the middle of the river."

Zinke said electronic monitors may be more appropriate in some areas, while areas with imposing natural features may not require additional reinforcements.

Upcoming Events