FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF ARMY AND DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
ANNOUNCE EXPANSION PLAN FOR NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER

The Department of the Army and the Department of the Interior have submitted to Congress a proposed plan for expanding maneuver training lands at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., while protecting endangered and threatened species and their critical habitats.

The plan, entitled Proposed Expansion Plan for Fort Irwin and the National Training Center, was submitted to Congress Friday and accompanied by a draft of proposed legislation providing for the withdrawal and reservation of public lands known as the Fort Irwin Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 2001. Both documents were required to be submitted to Congress in legislation signed by President Clinton on Dec. 21, 2000.

In accordance with that legislation, on March 28, 2001, the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service provided the Secretaries with a Preliminary Review of the key elements of the proposed expansion plan. The Secretaries have relied on the Preliminary Review to assist in more precisely defining the nature and scope of an expansion plan for the NTC and to identify elements that must be addressed in the formal consultation process under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

The National Training Center is the only instrumented training area in the world suitable for force-on-force and live maneuver training of heavy brigade-sized military forces. It provides the Army with essential training opportunities necessary to maintain and improve military readiness and promote national security. The NTC must be expanded to meet the critical need of the Army for additional training lands suitable for the maneuver of large numbers of military personnel and equipment, which is necessitated by advances in equipment and by doctrinal changes

The proposed expansion plan submitted to Congress Friday could open up approximately 110, 000 acres of new maneuver training areas next to existing NTC boundaries and release for training use approximately 22,000 acres of current Army-owned land within the NTC.

"The proposed expansion plan renews the Army's commitment to provide our soldiers with the most realistic training possible - training that will no doubt save soldiers' lives in future conflicts. The plan also demonstrates our commitment to protect the natural resources on the land America entrusts to us," said Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White.

Some of the lands under consideration for expansion of the NTC are home to the desert tortoise and Lane Mountain milkvetch, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The plan for the expansion of the NTC provides for such expansion in a manner that complies with the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The draft legislation for the proposed expansion states explicitly that the Army will not conduct any ground-disturbing activities prior to the completion of all necessary reviews and consultations required by these laws, and certification by the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Interior of full compliance.

"The proposed expansion plan strikes a balance between our goal to preserve and recover endangered species and the need for America to meet modern standards for combat readiness," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said. "I feel that the process established in the plan and draft legislation will allow us to meet these goals as well as full compliance with all environmental laws," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said.

In accordance with environmental regulations, the public will be given opportunity to comment on the proposed plan at specific points in the process. The Army will announce these opportunities for comment in advance.

For more information, please contact Ms. Karen Baker, Army Public Affairs at 703-697-7592 or Ms. Stephanie Hanna, Department of Interior Public Affairs at 202-208-6416.