Navy outlines proposed Johnson Valley expansion
Move could spell the end of King of the Hammers off-road race
Feb. 13, 2013 10:37 AM, | 1Comments
K Kaufmann
The Desert Sun
Less than a week after the King of the Hammers off-road race in Johnson Valley, the U.S. Navy today issued its decision on a proposed expansion of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms that could spell the end of the popular event as well as put a major brake on off-roading in the high desert.
The official record of decision, which will not be available online until Thursday, endorses a plan under which the Marines would take over more than half of the the federally protected 188,000-acre public off-roading area now under the protection of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
PHOTO GALLERY: King of the Hammers off-road race
As outlined in a previous environmental report, more than half of the valley, 108,530 acres, would be permanently closed to off-roaders and used for
Marine training exercises involving tanks, helicopters and live ammunition.
An additional 38,137 acres, which include the valley’s world-famous rock-crawling trails, known as the Hammers, would become a “dual-use” area, available to off-roaders for 10 months a year. The Marines would use the area for training exercises for the other two months, but would not use live ammunition, the report said.
The proposed expansion would also include 21,304 acres directly southeast of the existing Marine base.
Off-roaders have said the expansion would make the King of the Hammers and other off-roading events in Johnson Valley difficult, if not impossible.
About three-quarters of this year’s 112-mile race course, which drew thousands to the “Hammertown” encampment on Friday, lies within the 108,530 acres the Marines would take over permanently.
“The trails we have out there, you have 30-plus rock crawling trails that are the hardest in the country. There’s recreational uses. People bring dirt bikes,” said D.J. Harmon of Cathedral City, who took part in this year’s Hammers both as a driver and pit crew member.
“The Marines have not said they need this land; they said they wanted it,” said Dave Cole, 41, a co-founder of King of the Hammers, pointing to other alternatives explored in the environmental report released last year, at least one of which involved no land in Johnson Valley. “There are even ways for them to use this land and not take it away from us.”
Marine officials have said the land would be used for training exercises that are critical for the Corps’ post-Middle East role as a slimmed-down, rapid-response force. Brigades of up to 20,000 Marines would take part in the training exercises, using helicopters and live ammunition.
Despite its existing 596,000 acres — more than half the size of Rhode Island — the base “currently does not provide sufficient live-fire and maneuver space to support this training,” said Capt. Kendra N. Motz, a Marine spokeswoman.
“Existing training is restricted to multiple maneuver battalions operating simultaneously for up to 24 hours with unconstrained live fire. Maneuver space is required to enable three infantry battalions to simultaneously conduct live fire and maneuver for 48-72 hours,” she said.
Congress still has to approve the expansion, and off-roading groups have mounted a lobbying campaign. According to a news release from the Marine base, the approval would be part of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
