Conservationists and Navy join forces to preserve open space

Agreement will preserve 330 acres of wildlife habitat and buffer military base from encroaching development

San Diego, Calif.—March 6, 2006—The Department of Defense, The Nature Conservancy and the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) and today announced the purchase of 330 acres of natural lands adjacent to La Posta Navy Mountain Warfare Training Center in eastern San Diego County. The acquisition of two parcels, 320 acres and 10 acres, represents the official launch of a public-private partnership aimed at establishing “buffer zones” of open space around California’s military installations.

“The purchase of these properties is the first result of the Department of Defense’s partnership with the state of California and nonprofit groups like the Nature Conservancy to establish natural buffers zones that protect active bases from the impacts of encroachment,” said Michael Huber, manager of the Department of Defense’s Regional Environmental Coordination Program for the Navy Region Southwest.

In August 2005, the WCB approved a $250,000 grant to the Nature Conservancy for the purchase. The U.S. Department of Defense is expected to contribute $695,000 and the Nature Conservancy will contribute $15,000.

"Last year the Department of Defense and I created a new partnership to protect land around military installations as buffer zones that preserve wildlife and habitats,” said California Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman. “These parcels of land represent a tremendous first success for the partnership and all parties involved.”

The land is part of a wildlife corridor filled with native grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral and scrub brush, and it supports mountain lions, mule deer, bobcat and wild turkeys.

The La Posta Navy Mountain Warfare Training Center plays a critical role in military training because the area’s land and terrain closely resemble the environments found in Korea and parts of Iraq and Afghanistan. The properties purchased cannot be used for military training.

For nearly 20 years, The Nature Conservancy has helped the military manage natural resources and comply with environmental law that protect plant and animals species on many of the military’s installations around the country. In San Diego County, the Conservancy is also working to create natural buffer zones around Camp Pendleton Marine Base.