I'm sorry I have not been keep up with it. My understanding is the Marines what to lower the restricted area(s) from 3000' to the surface?

The Marines want to expand 29 Palms West into Johnson Valley to make the largest military base in the states even larger. This would restrict all access to the public in that area.

We want them to expand east instead.

What are the reasons they don't want to go east?
Just the wilderness thing or is there more to it.

Thanks. In my reply to the marines, I made some references for airspaces. But the same applies to the ground base MOA's.

What are the reasons they don't want to go east?
Just the wilderness thing or is there more to it.


There are a number of reasons, too much to explain briefly here. Couple of the main ones:

Amboy Rd. It runs north/south near the existing eastern base boundary. They would have to cross it, so it would have to be closed during the exercises. Closing it would make for a LONG trip around if you lived in Amboy and wanted to go south towards 29Palms.


Terrain. They say that there are dry lakes on the east side that will not support tank traffic. Take a look at the maps that show the troop movement corridors proposed for the exercises. They aren't as long as the west expansion examples and IIRC two Battalions would have to travel together for a portion.


And, of course, the Wilderness.

Thanks. In my reply to the marines, I made some references for airspaces. But the same applies to the ground base MOA's.

In the DEIS it lays out all of the pertinent information with respect to airspace. The "West Study Area" would expand the R-2501 air space (the same way it is over the base now) over the majority of Johnson Valley's OHV area as well as add an additional MOA to the south of JV. Hard to explain in text but if you down load the DEIS here: http://www.marines.mil/unit/29palms/LAS/Pages/EIS.aspx it has it all in there. It's easiest to got to the bottom and down load the whole shabang.

Mike