JV Scoping Meetings This Week - Be There!

[bakerhab2003]

Help Save Johnson Valley!

Attend A Public Scoping Meeting on Proposed Marine Base Expansion

Working together everyone can help save Johnson Valley. However, your participation in the public decision making process is critical. You can help save Johnson Valley by attending one of the three Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base expansion scoping meetings. Just walking through the door of one of the meetings to ask questions and gather information sends a loud and powerful message that the future use of Johnson Valley by the public is important to you!

Meeting Dates

December 3, 2008, 5 p.m to 9 p.m., Twentynine Palms, CA (Twentynine Palms Junior High, Hay’s Gym, 5798 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA)

December 4, 2008, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Victorville, CA (Hilton Garden Inn Victorville, 12603 Mariposa Road, Victorville, CA)

December 5, 2008, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Ontario, CA (Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA)

The Marine Corps is studying it's needs to meet the Marine Corps Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) sustained, combined arms, live-fire and maneuver training requirements. The scoping meetings are designed to solicit input from stakeholders, the affected public and agencies regarding issues or interests that should be studied or the reasonable alternatives that should be considered for the study moving forward. Each of the three scoping meetings will consist of an informal, open house session with information stations staffed by Marine Corps representatives. Public comment forms will be available and gathered at the information stations, and a stenographer will be available to take oral comments for inclusion in the record.

At this time the Marine Corps is studying five potential base expansion alternatives and a No Action Alternative. These study alternatives include:

Alternatives 1 & 4 – Add 188,000 acres West of the base and 22,000 acres South of the base. These alternatives effectively include expansion in to all of the Johnson Valley OHV-Multiple Use Area. Training movements and live-fire exercises differ between Alternative 1 and 4.

Alternative 2 – Add 122,000 acres West of the base and 22,000 acres South of the base. This alternative includes most of the Johnson Valley OHV-Multiple Use Area.

Alternative 3 – Add 228,000 acres East of the base and 22,000 acres South of the base. This alternative does not include expansion into Johnson Valley.

Alternative 5 – Add 188,000 acres West of the base only (Johnson Valley).

No Action Alternative – Marine Corps will seek no additional lands, MEB exercises would occur on existing base.

Take Action Now – Attend at least one public scoping meeting and encourage your family and friends to do the same, and pass along this information to others you think are interested in Johnson Valley’s future. Visit the Partnership For Johnson Valley at www.pfjv.org for additional information and the latest updates.

[bakerhab2003]

Bump -- meeting in Twentynine Palms today!

December 3, 2008, 5 p. m to 9 p.m., Twentynine Palms, CA (Twentynine Palms Junior High, Hay’s Gym, 5798 Utah Trail, Twentynine Palms, CA)

[JENNVFMC]

I will be at the Dec. 5 meeting!

[biglar]

I went to last nights meeting in 29 Palms. For those of you planning on attending the meeting tonight or tomorrow, don't kill yourself trying to get there at five. It's an open house format so you can show up anytime between 5 and 9. There were several map stations with Marines to answer questions and tables to write out your written comments. No official presentation. My wife and I were in and out in 45 minutes.
Larry

[bakerhab2003]

Bump -- Meeting tonight in Victorville

Turnout in Twentynine Palms was poor -- about 120 people. About 85% residents. Thank you to the off roaders who came from the local area and to FOGR folks, but especially thanks to those that came from as far away as Fullerton and Newport Beach.

December 4, 2008, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Victorville, CA (Hilton Garden Inn Victorville, 12603 Mariposa Road, Victorville, CA)

[shoyrtt]

Ttt

[Hammer Hog]

I went to last night's meeting in 29. I've got to say I'm very discouraged concerning a weak turnout of opposition. I asked one of the coordinators (Michael King) if they had anticipated as much opposition as they have had. Surprisingly he said they expected much more opposition than what they are getting, especially from the OHV users. He stated that the vast majority of opposition is mostly from local communities, and very little outside of that.
So what I take from that is that the word has not gotten out much farther than local areas and a few forum communities such as this one.
Looks like this acquisition will be a slam dunk for the military if the word doesn't get out to the vast general public outside of these local areas.

I think the larger media outlets may be worth looking into...even at a national level.

I sure hope that these next two meetings will have much larger numbers.

The format of last nights meetings was basically the same as last time, with the exception of much better display maps. The maps are set up individually as for each option.

So get out and bring as many folks as you can...it's not looking good from what I'm detecting...but that can change with larger opposition.

[Mustard Dog]

We'll be there tonight

[bakerhab2003]

Bump -- Meeting tonight in Ontario!

Turnout in Victorville was better than Twentynine Palms, but still poor -- about 200 people. This time it was about 90% recreationalists. Thank you to those that showed up, you know who you are! And, as someone so eloquently put it on one of the forums, "Where in the he## were the rest of you?"

Wrong answer: Home watching Survivor

Right answer: I'm going to the meeting in Ontario

There is FREE PARKING at the Ontario Convention Center tonight.

December 5, 2008, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Ontario, CA (Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA)

Helen Baker
www.pfjv.org

[RedBullJeep]

I am still trying to find someone to carpool with tonite!

[OlMan]

From the Press Enterprise:

By DAVID DANELSKI
The Press-Enterprise
VICTORVILLE - 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.

"Any alternative that takes in the Johnson Valley would be catastrophic for our community," said Jim Arbogast, a regional director of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association.

Arbogast, an Anaheim resident who likes to trek through Johnson Valley in his Ford Bronco, would prefer to see the military expand into wilderness areas on the more remote east side of the training center.

Others said they wanted no military expansion at all.

"We don't want to lose a grain of sand, nothing," said Rich Wohlers, a four-wheeling enthusiast from Apple Valley.

Lt. Col. James McArthur said final decisions are at least two years away. The military must still evaluate the expansion options to determine how well communications, logistics, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and other criteria will work in each area, he said.

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, McArthur said.

The military also must review environmental issues in a study expected to be ready for public review in 2010.

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.

The Marine Corps wants to expand the 932-square-mile Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms to handle new training.

Military officials want enough space for three battalions to maneuver simultaneously using live ammunition accompanied by air support. Each battalion would have about 1,000 Marines supported by other troops.

The expansion area covers almost 76,000 acres of private property and most of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area, a 189,000-acre public playground for off-roaders. Environmentalists have said the expansion could take territory from wild animals and plants at a time when desert habitat elsewhere is being claimed for solar and wind projects.

A Navy research group looked at 11 other potential training sites in the nation, but only Twentynine Palms has sufficient airspace and land, according to the Navy's application to acquire public lands.

Reach David Danelski at 951-368-9471 or ddanelski@PE.com