Fort Hunter Liggett
Environmental Vigilance
Project Updates Page
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 29, 2001
Congressman Sam Farr's letter to the VWA confirming Navy's abandonment of Fort Hunter Liggett bombing range proposal has been posted here for you to read (43k GIF file).
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2001
Congressman Sam Farr announced today, November 15, 2001, that the Navy has dropped its proposal to build a practice bombing range at Fort Hunter Liggett. This is a great political victory for Congressman Farr who has worked diligently to convince the Navy that FHL is not an appropriate location for this activity. Congratulations to Congressman Farr, to all the VWA members who worked hard at opposing this proposal, and to the many other local activists and organizations who also joined in the struggle.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov.15, 2001
CONTACT: Betsy Lordan
202-225-2861
betsy.lordan@mail.house.gov
Big Sur-area tranquility restored
(Washington, DC) - Congressman Sam Farr ( D-Carmel) spoke this morning with Navy Deputy Assistant Secretary Duncan Holaday, who said the Navy will halt its proposed practice bombing range at Fort Hunter Liggett, near Big Sur.
"I'm very glad we've managed to make the government work the way it should," Rep. Farr said. "Sometimes petitioning your government really works."
Senator Barbara Boxer also endorsed the Navy decision:
"I am pleased that the Navy has listened to concerns of local communities, when it comes to protecting Big Sur," Senator Boxer said. "This decision will allow the Navy to fulfill its mission to protect the American people without threatening one of California's natural treasures."
Deputy Assistant Secretary Holaday said he would send a follow up letter confirming the Navy's decision.
Since the Navy announced its proposal in January, Rep. Farr has emphatically argued to Navy officials that Fort Hunter Liggett is not an appropriate place for a large-scale practice bombing range.
Navy officials said earlier this year that by changing their bombing practice to Fort Hunter Liggett, they can save $3 million a year in fuel.
"The Fort Hunter Liggett bombing range proposal posed some serious environmental risks," Rep. Farr said. "I always believed that the Navy would come to the conclusion that Fort Hunter Liggett is not the right place for loud, low-flying fighter jets."
The Navy proposal involved launching approximately 1,000 bombing runs a year between the naval air station at Lemoore and Fort Hunter Liggett. The sorties would have dropped inert ammunition on the periphery of what is known as the "Army High Explosive Target Area." The Navy currently uses this target area - which sits roughly in the center of the 165,000-acre Fort Hunter Liggett - about twice a month, and conducts more extensive practice bombing runs over the Sierra Nevada.
Initially, Navy officials said they might just conduct an Environmental Assessment, which is a relatively cursory review of the impact the bombing range would have on the environment.
In March, after significant criticism from Rep. Farr, members of the general public, environmental groups, the nearby New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Friends of the Historic San Antonio Mission, the tourism industry and various state and local officials, the Navy announced that it would conduct a much more rigorous Environmental Impact Statement.
Rep. Farr pointed out that Fort Hunter Liggett is adjacent to the nationally renowned Big Sur, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Los Padres National Forest. The base and the surrounding area is also home to many threatened and endangered species, he said.
The 165,000-acre Fort Hunter Liggett is surrounded by various large parcels of federal land and water, all of which are considered ecologically sensitive:
- Los Padres National Forest: 306,757 acres
- Ventana Wilderness: 201,178 acres
- Silver Peak Wilderness: 14,500 acres
- Pinnacles National Monument: 24,000 acres
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Within the Monterey County portion Los Padres National Forest - the largest of the federal lands adjacent to Fort Hunter Liggett - there are 25 species of birds, 19 species of mammals and nearly 100 species of fish, reptiles, invertebrates and plants that are considered threatened, endangered or of concern.
"This area is known as a place where rare California condors are nurtured and released into the wild, where endangered bald eagles fly and where sea otters have bounded back from the brink of extinction," Rep. Farr said. "I understand that the Navy needs to train its jet fighter pilots, but this is simply not the place for it. This is a place where people come to find tranquility and beauty. This is a great victory for the Central Coast."
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2001
At the September 7, 2001 Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council meeting, Congressman Sam Farr stated that he has been advised in writing by the Chief of Naval Operations that a decision has not been made to move ahead with the Environmental Impact Statement for the Navy bombing proposal at FHL and that a Notice of Intent would be published in the Federal Register before the Navy begins work on the EIS. While this news sounds favorable and no Notice of Intent has been published, we should not let our guard down until the Navy proposal is withdrawn or defeated.
UPDATE: JUNE 20, 2001
The Navy announced on March 23, 2001, that it would complete a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) rather than the less thorough Environmental Assessment, which it had initially proposed. This change of heart is clearly the result of the tremendous volume of public comments in opposition to the FHL bombing range proposal and the near unanimous opposition from local elected officials and the local media. While the exact timing of the EIS process has not been disclosed, the law requires that public hearings be held and that additional public comments be solicited when the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is issued. The VWA will alert its members and supporters when these events are announced.
