During October, the San Bernardino Refuge Manager participated as a member of the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Interim Assistance Team.  This interagency group met in Washington D.C. to assist Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel with the coordination of border security activities planned as part of the Secure Fence Act of 2006.  Border security infrastructure is scheduled to be built with or without DOI involvement, but it is in DOI’s best interest to work with DHS on these projects as a cooperating agency to enhance visitor and employee safety and to optimize the protection of environmental and cultural resources.  The challenge is to innovatively and creatively streamline existing processes to resolve potential conflicts arising from DHS planned construction activities, while conforming with existing laws and to the degree possible, complying with existing policy.  DOI and DHS have established effective communications at various organizational levels, and must maintain this crucial relationship to efficiently meet national security needs scheduled for completion by December 2008.