LAT: Military Wants Santa Rosa Island (in CA Channel Islands Natl. Park)

Military Wants Santa Rosa Island
California congressman seeks to convert the public park into a recreation and training area for the armed forces. Critics cry foul.

By Tim Reiterman and Richard Simon, Times Staff Writers


WASHINGTON — A California congressman confirmed Friday that he wants to convert Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park into a Department of Defense installation for military recreation and special forces training — a move critics say would severely limit public access.

The proposal by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is being circulated as an amendment to a defense authorization bill that both houses of Congress began hashing out this week....

***

Hunter's proposal calls for the Department of Defense to transform the 53,000-acre island into a military operation, effective Jan. 1, 2009. The goal, the proposal said, was to provide "morale, welfare and recreation activities to members of the armed forces and their dependents, veterans, official guests and such other persons as the secretary determines to be appropriate, including paralyzed and disabled persons."

The island, according to the proposal, also could provide training areas for special operations forces and would continue to allow deer and elk hunting that is currently permitted.

Critics of the proposal said military personnel already can visit the park, just like the general public....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-island10dec10,0,65452.story?coll=la-home-headlines

wants to/will close, now they have to pick on a national park, enjoyed by the public? They should use one of those bases slated for extinction for their training. Everything they touch they foul. I hope Californians protest long and loudly over this.:grr:

Seriously, though, this is pretty damn lame.

The island, according to the proposal, also could provide training areas for special operations forces

What a moran. "Surf's up! Last one in is a rotten..." :nuke:

The Channel Islands are well thought of in Southern California. Like all paratroopers, Hunter landed on his head too many times.

Whoever the FUCK that is ???

Now WAY can this go forward! They've already polluted the Santa Barbara Chanel with all their damn Oil rigs!!!:mad: They could easily do all these things at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which is about 30 mile further up the coast in Santa Barbara County near Lompoc.

This to me looks like a diversionary tactic on the part of Duncan Hunter, He is HEAVILY connected with "The Dukester" and will put this forward mainly as a diversion from that.

The same people that were bribing Cunningham, also gave $20,000.00 to Hunter, which they say he is quickly trying to give to charities now.

This was reported Friday on NPR's All Things Considered. It's a very complicated report, so you might have to listen to it twice to catch every point.

Fate Uncertain for Other Players in Cunningham Case

Listen to this story...(at link above)
by Scott Horsley

All Things Considered, December 9, 2005 · Disgraced former
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) resigned from Congress
after his indictment for corruption. He faces up to 10 years
in jail. But questions still remain about the fate of the
co-conspirators accused of bribing the veteran Republican lawmaker.

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5046864>

Enough already! Military owns both San Clemente and San Nicholas (of "Island of the Blue Dolphin" fame!) Islands. They DON'T need another one! Duncan Hunter is slime!

:nuke:

does it have?

It could just be another republican assault on the nat'l park system but you have to wonder.