Wonder Valley mobilizes in response to Base expansion plans

Wonder Valley is beginning to mobilize in the face of MCAGCC expansion plans. Per the Desert Trail:

Citizens concerned about expansion plans of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center will meet to explore the issues and consider options from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at Wonder Valley Community Church, 82575 Amboy Road at Kuhn’s Road. It is the intention to organize a committee to address the expansion and its potential impacts on east Basin communities. Anyone interested in taking part is invited. For more information, call 367-7608.

The Combat Center has begun the environmental study process for the expansion, where it will compare possible combinations and alternatives to meet its expansion objectives. The study areas include over 300,000 acres of federal land and more than 70,000 acres of private lands, including to the west, south, and east of the current base boundaries. In Wonder Valley, the potential expansion lands include everything north of Poleline Road.The eastern study area extends all the way east to the Old Woman Mountains and north up to National Trails Highway, including Amboy Road, Amboy Crater, Bristol Dry Lake and several mining and farming enterprises.

The National Wilderness Areas are not included in the study zones.

“There are many questions to be answered,”said Chris Carraher, a Wonder Valley resident and one of the organizers of the meeting. “The people in Wonder Valley could be severely impacted by the expansion plans.”

An on-line discussion group about the Base expansion can be found here.

MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms.

Coverage of Marine expansion scoping meetings

Last week's scoping meetings for the Marine Base expansion proposal is covered in the Desert Trail as well as the Press-Enterprise. The P-E covered the Victorville meeting:

Off-roading enthusiasts and military officials appeared to be on a collision course Thursday at a meeting hosted by the Marine Corps, which plans a major expansion of its training center at Twentynine Palms.

The Marines shared five expansion scenarios for enlarging the center, but the one that works best for maneuvers and live-fire training takes in all or part of the Johnson Valley, a 189,000-acre mecca for off-roaders in the San Bernardino County desert southeast of Barstow.

The revelation didn't go over well with many of the 167 people, most of them off-roaders, who attended the meeting in a hotel conference room.

[snip]

Officials determined the Johnson Valley is best for live-fire exercises and maneuvering because it provides a natural extension of training corridors on the base, [Lt. Col. James] McArthur said.

The "open house" format of the meeting was controversial. Again per the P-E:

Meeting participants were asked to make their comments in writing at several tables or to speak to a court reporter, who would create a transcript.

Marie Brashear, a rock collector from Lucerne Valley, said the comment format was self-serving for the military.

"The only purpose is to defuse and disarm people who may be opposed to the expansion," she said.

Helen Baker, director of the Partnership for Johnson Valley, said she liked the format because it prevents a few vocal people from taking over.

MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms.

Visualizing the energy impact

Coyote Crossing has a nice post summarizing the size of the impact on the Mojave should the numerous solar and wind proposals now before the BLM come to pass. Most useful is the BLM map showing the location of proposed projects.

Note the overlap of energy projects in some places with the study areas proposed for the Marine Base expansion. At this week's Base expansion scoping meeting, it was clarified that the "segregation" enacted by the Marine Corps has preempted those projects. The Base will get "first dibs", even though those energy proposals had already been submitted.


MORE INFO ON THESE TOPICS: On the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts: Energy, Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms.

Marine Base expansion: New discussion group

Dear desert neighbors,

As you may know, the Twentynine Palms Marine Base (MCAGCC) is planning to expand. The expansion could involve as many as 400,000 acres, including private as well as federal lands. Areas under consideration include lands to the west, east, and south of present MCAGCC boundaries. There could be many potential effects on Morongo Basin residents.

As part of the environmental review process (NEPA), there will be public Scoping meetings this coming week, including December 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Twentynine Junior High School, Hay's Gym, 5798 Utah Trail.

Because this is such a large and complex issue, involving many stakeholders and agendas, a new Google Group has been formed for local residents to inform one another on the issues. You are invited to join the Group and add to the discussion (see instructions below). There is no cost, and members can easily set when or if they want to receive email updates or just visit the site at their leisure. Also, anyone may simply view the Group posts and pages without joining.

Group Home page: http://groups.google.com/group/desertneighbors.

To join: From home page click on "Join this group" in the Sidebar. If you do not yet have a Google account you will be directed how to join.

To view more information on the expansion plans, including links and maps, as well as how to participate in the Scoping process, go to the Group Home page and click on "Pages" in the Sidebar.

I sincerely hope you will consider joining the Google Group, so that we may all learn from one another in the face of this major impact on the Morongo Basin.

Best wishes,

Chris Carraher
Communications Director
Morongo Basin Conservation Association


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms.

County postpones recommendation on Marine Base expansion

San Bernardino County Supervisors last week postponed discussion of a resolution by Sup. Brad Mitzelfelt (1st District) of a proposal that the Marine Base expand preferentially to the east, rather than the west, and "in support of maintaining the status of the BLM Johnson Valley Open Area and maintaining all current uses therein.”

The matter was "indefinitely postponed until a later meeting, as county officials would like to further examine the consequences of backing an eastern expansion plan," per the Lucerne Valley Leader as posted on The Guzzler.

“I have expressed my concern with expansion into the Johnson Valley open area. But the eastern expansion currently could very likely close Amboy Road, which is a very significant highway. That is very worrisome to me and I think we need to address that as well in our position. As a former Marine, I'm very familiar with the type of training they do there. They do need more space, but we do need to study the impact on our constituents,” Mitzelfelt said at Tuesday’s meeting.

David Zook, spokesman for Mitzelfelt said that the Supervisor still believes that an eastward move away from Johnson and Lucerne Valleys is the way to go, but the county as a whole has not decided on a position.

[snip]

"Johnson Valley is ... providing economic benefits to the surrounding communities and opportunities for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and many others to enjoy recreation in the desert,” the recommendation said. “Additionally, Johnson Valley is a popular site for photography and filming of movies, commercials and other productions which generates additional economic benefits.”

As to the push to move east, the report goes on to say that they are “mostly unpopulated, are not heavily used for recreation, and have been used in the past for military training. They do not have surrounding communities as is the case in the Johnson Valley, and they would provided a viable alternative to the original proposal.”

Now, looking at possibly having to close Amboy Road, which leads to Interstate 40, officials are saying they need more time to secure their position.“

Obviously we need to study a little bit more,” Mitzelfelt concluded.

Read more analysis of the issue and the County's response here.

In further coverage of last week's public information meeting in Twentynine Palms on the expansion, the Press-Enterprise states that desert residents said they fear the Marines Corps plans will "take their homes, curtail their off-road recreation and destroy wildlife habitat."

The article quotes Wonder Valley artist Thom Merrick: "It's like living next to a giant that knows no end to its hunger."

[MBCA Boardmember] D-Anne Albers, who lives in Wonder Valley and works with Defenders of Wildlife environmental group, said the expansion area includes prime desert tortoise habitat north of Johnson Valley and bighorn sheep habitat east of the training center.

"The expansion could take territory the animals need at a time when desert wildlife habitat elsewhere is being claimed for solar and wind projects, Albers said."It would be very bad. The desert is just getting eaten up."

An earlier article in the Press-Enterprise quotes a study published this month by a North Carolina State University professor: "The military's contention that the training grounds are needed for national security isn't necessarily a slam-dunk justification."

"The government can no longer rely solely on the 'war on terrorism' and 'national security' as arguments to maintain a crisis situation where local people willingly sacrifice protection of their 'homeland,'" Kenneth Zagacki said in a university news release.

The study examined how the U.S. Navy abandoned plans this year to acquire more than 30,000 acres for a landing field in rural North Carolina -- land the Navy had been saying for five years was needed for national security, Zagacki said.

Residents there opposed the expansion and put the Navy in an "awkward position" by arguing that the landing field would destroy the very homeland the military was trying to protect, wrote Zagacki, a professor of rhetoric, in his study published in the Southern Communications Journal.

MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms.

Base expansion study area includes private property in 29 and Wonder Valley

The Hi-Desert Star covers the Base expansion public information meeting held Oct. 23 in Twentynine Palms in this article.

“As this process goes on, it’s important to know what the stakeholders’ concerns are and as they look at proposed parcels, what they think the impacts will be,” [Lt. Col. James McArthur] said.

“It’s important for us to sit down at the table and answer people’s questions,” he added. “We’re eager to work with the community on this."

The project is still in the study stage as an environmental impact report is constructed. Formal public meetings for the EIS process will be held in December. McArthur expects the entire process will take at most two years.

The environmental report, which will identify several alternatives to expand the Marine base or abandon the project, will be given to the Secretary of the Interior.

Ultimately, the expansion will be approved or denied by the United States Congress and then signed by the president of the United States.

Of note, the map on view at the meeting made it clear that Twentynine Palms would be affected. The expansion study area in Wonder Valley and Twentynine Palms would include the entire area of land north of Poleline Road between the Cleghorn Lakes National Wilderness Area on the east and the current Base southern tip on the west, including private residences.

Larry Johnston drove from Upland to Thursday’s meeting because he and his family own property on land in the Wonder Valley area that falls within the expansion proposal.“I’m very concerned,” said Johnston.

“My dad homesteaded five acres up here probably 50 years ago.” Now, he said, Johnston, his siblings and their cousins all own homesteads on adjoining properties there. “We’ve been coming up here since we were kids.”

Read more about expansion plans, with links to maps, in this previous post.


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley.

Thursday's Base expansion meeting time corrected

The expansion plans of the Marine Base are continuing with the announcement that over 400,000 acres of federal and non-federal land is being "segregated" for two years, including land in the Morongo Basin. The Bureau of Land Management and the Marine Corps will hold public information meetings this week in Twentynine Palms and Victorville to discuss the segregation/withdrawal process. MBCA encourages Basin residents to attend.

IMPORTANT: Notices in local news gave wrong information on the meetings in Twentynine Palms. There will be ONLY ONE MEETING in Twentynine, from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. This was confirmed with Stephen Razo, official BLM contact. If you know anyone who is planning on attending that day, please make sure they know the correct time.

The meeting in Twentynine Palms will be at Twentynine Palms Junior High School, 5798 Utah Trail, on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 4 to 9 p.m. There will also be two meetings in Victorville on Friday, Oct. 24, at Hilton Garden Inn, 12603 Mariposa Road, from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. See the BLM press release for additional details.

To recap, the lands are being segregated in preparation for beginning the NEPA/CEQA environmental study process. The study lands do include a portion of northern Wonder Valley; a part of Johnson Valley and the OHV area; and lands to the east of the Base, across the dry lake and out towards Cadiz. Both federal and non-federal lands are affected.

Per the official Notice:

The proposal seeks the transfer of jurisdiction and the withdrawal of approximately 365,906 acres of public lands and approximately 507 acres of Federal subsurface mineral estate from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including surface entry, mining, mineral leasing, and the Materials Act of 1947.

This notice temporarily segregates for two years the public lands and mineral estate described from settlement, sale, location, or entry under the public land laws, including the mining laws, and the operation of the mineral leasing laws and the Materials Act of 1947. In addition, the surface estate of the 507 acres of mineral estate and the surface and mineral estate of an approximately 72,186 acres of other non-federally owned property in the proposed withdrawal area, if they should be acquired by or returned to the United States by any means, would also be included in the proposed withdrawal and subject to the temporary segregation authorized by this notice.

The public comment period ends December 15. To learn more about the "segregation" process, view the full BLM announcement.

Also, you may view the maps and read more about the plans on the USMC 29 Palms Training Land/Airspace Acquisition Study website.


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley.

Public meetings confirmed on Marine Corps expansion

The Bureau of Land Managment and the U.S. Marine Corps have announced the details of two public meetings in Twentynine Palms and Victorville to "inform the public about the legislative withdrawal process for consideration of the proposal to expand the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center."

The proposal seeks to withdraw approximately 366,000 acres of federal public land and, if eventually acquired, approximately 72,000 acres of non-federally owned property within the proposed withdrawal area.

In Twentynine Palms two meetings will be held on Thursday, October 23, at the Twentynine Palms Junior High School gym at 5798 Utah Trail. Additional meetings will be held on October 24 in Victorville.

Two meeting times are scheduled at each location from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. (CORRECTION: THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE MEETING IN TWENTYNINE PALMS, AND IT WILL RUN FROM 4 TO 9 P.M. - ED.) to provide the public the broadest opportunities to attend, according to Roxie Trost, BLM Barstow Field Manager.

A notice published Monday, Sept. 15 segregated the public lands involved for two years, making them unavailable for settlement, sale and location of claims under the mining laws. However, the lands remain open to public access and recreation use. A 90-day comment period will closes Dec. 15.The notice, available online at www.blm.gov/ca, also explains the withdrawal process.

Read more in the Desert Trail.


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley.

Public meetings planned on land segregation for Base expansion

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a press release announcing public meetings on October 23 and 24 to "present the proposal for possible expansion of the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base and to discuss the legislative withdrawal process of the public lands in San Bernardino County. The locations, times, and formats for the meetings will be announced in the near future."

A Federal Register notice published [September 15] segregates the public lands identified by the Marines for possible expansion for two years. Under the segregation, the lands are no longer available for settlement, sale, and location of claims under the mining laws. However, the lands remain open to public access and recreation use.

The notice [available online here] also explains the withdrawal process, which requires full environmental and public review and congressional approval as required by the 1958 Engle Act. The publication of the Federal Register notice begins a 90-day comment period regarding the proposed withdrawal.

After the comment period, the Marine Corps will be preparing a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for further public review to identify a range of alternatives for meeting the Corps' training requirements and analyzing the environmental impacts.

Read the rest in the BLM press release. To learn more about the EIS process and your part in it, see our Website.

ADDENDUM: Read more in this story in the San Bernardino Sun.


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base, Wonder Valley.

Base expansion plans and maps on Website

The U.S. Marine Corps has moved forward with their study on acquiring more land in the Morongo Basin for MCAGCC. Their "Application for Withdrawal of Public Lands" is now posted on their 29 Palms Training Land/Airspace Acquisition Study website, along with maps of the study area. Areas being studied are to the west, south, and east of the current Base, including portions of Johnson Valley and Wonder Valley.

MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On the Land Use/Development and Communities pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Johnson Valley, Marine Base.

Lucerne Valley to hear Johnson Valley's concerns

Lucerne Valley, just to the north of the Morongo Basin, shares many of our concerns regarding impacts of development on our local economies and rural character. The Lucerne Valley Economic Development Association (LEVDA) has been providing comments on Green Path North; the Programmatic Solar Energy environmental study currently being conducted by the Departments of Interior and Energy; and wind energy projects in their neighborhood such as West Fry (in the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Recreation Area) and the Granite Mountains.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, they'll be hearing from Johnson Valley residents and user groups about impacts of the proposed expansion of the 29 Palms Marine Base and potential economic impacts on Lucerne Valley. Lucerne Valley Senior Center, 5 p.m.

Base applies to start study for expansion

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.

[snip]

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.

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.

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.

Bighorn Water public forum in Johnson Valley

The Hi-Desert Star gives extensive coverage of the public forum held in Johnson Valley by budget-troubled Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency last weekend. Suggestions included such controversial possibilities as selling water, stand-by fees, and rate hikes.

Two more meetings are planned for September in Landers and Flamingo Heights

Bighorn Water Agency approves budget

In the face of a shortfall Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency directors have approved a new budget, with General Manager Marina West recommending laying off a management-level employee and raising rates. The Agency will be holding meetings with the public to discuss the new rate plans; the first one will be at the Johnson Valley Community Center on August 9. Read more in the Hi-Desert Star.

Bighorn-Desert View Water looks at budget shortfall

Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency was informed by General Manager Marina West their 2008/2009 draft operating budget would have a shortfall of 12.6 percent, or $141,459. According to this article in the Hi-Desert Star, the Directors plan on organizing public meetings on the situation in Flamingo Heights, Landers, and Johnson Valley.

Johnson Valley group concerned about Base expansion

Concerned about the Marine Base plans to expand, a new Johnson Valley "Partnership" has formed to present concerns to Base officials. The areas being considered for expansion include a portion of the Johnson Valley off-road vehicle open-access area. According to the Hi-Desert Star:

The original meeting with the military was orchestrated by Ed Waldheim, a past commissioner of the California OHV Commission who represented OHV interests in Sacramento for 10 years. At the original meeting, a coalition of groups was asked to participate to represent local stakeholders. They were invited back by the military to give a formal presentation.After their second meeting with the military, the coalition participants agreed to form a partnership and establish themselves as a non-profit under the California Trail Users Coalition.

Of note, in its Land Acquisition Study FAQ page, the Combat Center states the following in response to a question of "Where would off-roaders go?" if the expansion annexed a portion of the Johnson Valley OHV area:

They would still be able to operate within other areas of the Johnson Valley area that the Bureau of Land Management deems appropriate for off-road enthusiasts and through NEPA we would work with these stakeholders to identify other potential sites for this type of use.

ADDENDUM: The Partnership for Johnson Valley now has a Website.


MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On Community ORV Watch and on the Off-Road Vehicle page of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Off-Road Vehicles, Johnson Valley.

Johnson Valley: Water, Energy, ORV issues

Johnson Valley is in the news regarding its water resources as well as a proposal to site a wind energy project within the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle area.

The Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency has grant money to study the Johnson Valley aquifer, but the matter is hardly simple, according to the Hi-Desert Star:

At the controversial heart of the matter is the protection of private well owners’ water rights. Few Johnson Valley residents are on metered water delivery systems. Members of this independent community rely on water trucks, hauling their own or sinking wells at their own expense. Betty Munson, president of the Johnson Valley Improvement Association, claimed, “Johnson Valley does not want improvements or add-ons, nor should its water be exported elsewhere. This came up several years ago and everyone said ‘No!’” Another concern for some Johnson Valley residents is that expanded water infrastructure will bring unwanted outside development.

[Board President Phil] Johnson further explained the agency’s position: “We’re not looking to put in a water system, we’re looking to manage resources. All water underground belongs to the state. People in California demand that we stop waste. We have to collect data to see if lost water can be saved.”

In further Johnson Valley news, the Bureau of Land Management has announced public scoping for the West Fry Wind Energy Project, 34 wind turbines and ancillary facilities to be located on BLM lands within the Johnson Valley OHV area. More info here.

MORE INFO ON THESE ISSUES: On Community ORV Watch and on the Energy and Water pages of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Energy.