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Fort Irwin threatens desert wilderness and endangered species

The U.S. Army would like to expand its 643,000-acre Mojave desert tank-training base at Fort Irwin by 131,000 acres. The proposed expansion would ruin two desert Wilderness Study Areas (Avawatz Mountains and South Avawatz Mountains), containing approximately 45,000 acres of potential desert wilderness, as well as seasonal desert bighorn sheep habitat, traditional Chemehuevi (Native American) collecting sites, and a portion of the historic Old Spanish Emigrant Trail.

The proposed Fort Irwin National Training Center expansion would also foul air quality and imperil two endangered species: the desert tortoise, and the Lane Mountain milkvetch, an endangered plant. Both the desert tortoise and the milkvetch are faltering, a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) report notes, because their habitat is being chewed up by development, mining, grazing, off-roading and military training. The expansion would destroy 85% of known milkvetch plants, likely jeopardizing the continued existence of this unique California species.

The Army has drafted legislation that would authorize expansion and circumvent the Endangered Species Act. Senator Dianne Feinstein may or may not support the Army in this endeavor. It is critical that she does not. Previously Senator Feinstein had stated she would not support a Fort Irwin expansion that would jeopardize species or that would not follow environmental laws.

It does not make sense to expand Fort Irwin, not only from an ecological standpoint, but also a military one. An April 15th L.A. Times article reported that the United States may now need fewer heavy tanks, artillery units and short-range fighter squadrons.

This proposal is destructive, expensive and unnecessary. It would be wiser to protect our desert wildlands and the habitat upon which the desert tortoise and Lane Mountain milkvetch depend.

Act now!
It is critically important that you write or call Senator Dianne Feinstein today.

1. Ask that the unjustified Fort Irwin expansion be stopped in its tracks. State your support for desert wilderness and wildlife. Ask that the Wilderness Study Areas keep their current status as WSAs so that they can be considered for future wilderness designation.

2. Thank Senator Feinstein for her past support of the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws in the Fort Irwin Expansion process. Ask that she oppose any military expansion that would impact potential wilderness or endangered species habitat and that she uphold the Endangered Species Act.

Send postal mail to: Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Email: senator@feinstein.senate.gov

Please send a copy of your letter to the following people:
Senator Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Mike Spear, Manager
Calif./Nev.Operations Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Building
2800 Cottage Way, Rm W-2606
Sacramento, CA 95825-1846
Email: mike_spear@r1.fws.gov

Tim Salt, Manager
California Desert District
Bureau of Land Management
6221 Box Springs Blvd.
Riverside, CA 92507
Email: tsalt@ca.blm.gov

Further details including maps and the USFWS report are available at www.tortoise.org

To help in other critically important campaigns, see the California Wilderness Coalition's list of current and urgent action alerts.