The public acreage in the study area borders the base on its eastern, southern and western areas, including a portion of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. There is also interest in these areas on the part of solar and wind energy projects.The Department of the Navy has submitted an application to the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw from public use 421,270 acres of land that border Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, including land in the Johnson Valley area.
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The BLM will publish a notice of intent for the withdrawal request, which will trigger a public-comment period. While forming an environmental impact statement, the Marine Corps and BLM say they will work with off-road vehicle, recreation and business communities to manage continued public access to the areas under study for potential acquisition.Base officials expect the Department of the Navy to issue a notice of intent to begin the environmental impact study in late October or early November, with a public scoping meeting to be held in early December.
Read the rest in the Hi-Desert Star.
MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On Community ORV Watch and on the Off-Road Vehicle and Energy pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Off-Road Vehicles, Johnson Valley, Energy.
