September 20, 2000
Senator Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Dear Senator Feinstein:
We are very disturbed to learn that the proposed National
Defense Authorization Act of 2001 presently contains a provision
(section 2887) expressing a "Sense of the Congress"
that the controversial expansion of Fort Irwin in the Mojave
Desert should be allowed to proceed. As you know, the proposed
expansion in any of its forms is extremely controversial
and has been strongly opposed by environmentalists, scientists,
and off road vehicle users, among many others. We most strongly
urge that you oppose this provision and work with the authors
of the legislation to remove it. We urge instead that you continue
to use your good offices, working with all parties, to work out
a solution to this issue that does not harm either the endangered
species in or the legitimate rights and interests of the many
different human users of the proposed expansion areas.
It has already been well documented that the southwestern
expansion into the Paradise Range/Superior Valley region as proposed
by the Army in April 1999 would have a major, overwhelming, impact
on some of the best remaining desert tortoise critical habitat
in the West Mojave Recovery Unit, and the home of its healthiest
population of tortoises. Additionally, it would effectively sever
the only possible connecting corridor between the West Mojave
tortoises and those in the other recovery units that lie to the
east.
The Fort Irwin Desert Tortoise Panel that was convened earlier this year (and that
included two Army scientists) agreed that the tortoise is now
in a perilous state in the West Mojave and that the proposed
southwestern expansion would place the West Mojave Recovery Unit
in jeopardy. The Panel's Report outlined a very costly program
to partially offset the impact of expanding Fort Irwin, but some
of the panel members refused to endorse it, believing that even
this would not alleviate the present imperiled situation of the
tortoise. While we appreciate the efforts of the Fort. Irwin
Desert Tortoise Panel, we must concur with the opinions of those
scientists who refused to endorse the recommendation. As they
point out, not only is the proposal extremely costly (and therefore
unlikely to receive the necessary appropriations if the expansion
is allowed to go forward first), but the report fails to justify
how the proposed mitigations would remove the jeopardy to the
tortoise and other species in the region.
The proposed expansion area is also important habitat for
the endangered Lane Mountain milk vetch, Astragalus jaegerianus.
Approximately 30 plants persist near Lane Mountain in the Paradise
Range - the only locality outside of the existing Fort Irwin
boundaries where this plant is known to survive. The proposed
southwestern expansion of Fort Irwin would place the continued
survival of the milk-vetch at its type locality at Lane Mountain
at risk, and will deny the public any opportunity to ever see
this species in its native habitat in the wild.
We also share the concerns, expressed by others, that the
integrity of the ongoing planning process between the Bureau
of Land Management and other stakeholders in working toward a
mutually-agreed West Mojave Habitat Plan would be severely compromised
if Congress at this point were to impose a "solution"
without allowing all affected parties to participate in its formulation.
Such an action would profoundly impact all desert users.
We believe there are alternatives which meet the needs of
the Army for accomplishing its training and readiness missions
without compromising further either the endangered species at
risk or the legitimate needs of other public lands users, as
would otherwise occur if the proposed expansion were authorized
in any way at this time. The General Accounting Office should
prepare a complete and thorough review of the need for the project,
the land use requirement studies, and the alternative land configurations
that could meet that need. The Departments of Interior and Defense
should be encouraged to continue to work for a mutually agreeable
solution.
Again, we urge you to oppose inclusion of this provision (or
any similar language) in the Defense Authorization bill, and
instead continue your good work with all parties to effect a
mutually agreeable and compatible solution to this controversial
matter.
Sincerely,
Elden Hughes
California Desert Protection League
Clifford D. Dillon
California Turtle and Tortoise Club
Daniel Patterson
Center for Biological Diversity
Harriet Allen
Desert Protective Council
Marc Graff
Desert Tortoise Council
Michael J. Connor
Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee
Brock Evans
Endangered Species Coalition
Susan Nash
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society
Peter Kyriakos
Sierra Club, San Gorgonio Chapter
