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| U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Twentynine Palms, CA |
I just learned that Johnson Valley in California is being fought over. On on side, off-road enthusiasts. On the other, the By God United States Marines. The designated Open Riding Area in Johnson Valley is enjoyed by countless people and is home to famed King of the Hammers competitions and is borderedon the east by the USMC Air Ground Combat Center and Firing Range.
The Marine Corps has locked onto this seemingly desolate land and has begun to fancy the area, with the object to expand Twentynine Palms in order train three battalions safely in live fire combined air-ground combat.
So, is it a matter of having fun vs national security? It certainly seems so, but as it turns out, it's a bit more complicated than that.
With California's already fragile economy, can it survive the loss of revenue from visitors from all over the world? How will the base expansion affect other areas in California? The expansion would place an enormous burden on the already over-used recreational facilities in San Bernadino County. And what about the many low income residents would not be able to move away from the intrusion?
The Marine Corps has made compromises and alterations to include joint usage, where the base would reduce the area to be withdrawn from public use. The Marines would use the land to train for two straight months out of the year, and would be used by the public after the land has been declared safe to enter.
So what is to be done? Hard for me to decide. I enjoy both the freedom to trek into Johnson Valley someday and watch a King of the Hammers event, or take some trails. I also enjoy that freedom thanks to those who defend it. They don't do it by sitting around waiting for something to pop off. They train hard in order to be the best. So that they can repel any threat to that freedom. So again. Who do I side with?
Who do you side with?
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| Johnson Valley OHV Recreational area. San Bernadino, CA |
Information and images gleaned from the internet, specifically Google.com and http://www.hvccsite.org/jvexpansion.html
Don't sue me.
