In the sweeping Southern California metropolis spanning from Santa Barbara to the Mexico border, Camp Pendleton has long remained the largest undeveloped stretch of the coastline. <\/p>\n
The 17 miles of beach and coastal hills has, since World War II, proven critical in preparing soldiers for amphibious missions. The bluffs, canyons and mountainous terrain that comprise the interior of the base has been fertile training ground for those sent to conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. <\/p>\n
But change may be on the horizon. <\/p>\n
The United States Department of Defense is considering making a portion of the 125,000 acre base in northwestern San Diego County available for development or lease in what, if successful, would be unprecedented for the military installation. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no place in Southern California like Camp Pendleton when it comes to open space along the coast,\u201d said Bill Fulton, a professor of practice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UC San Diego. <\/p>\n
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Marine recruits rest while the rest of the remaining platoons in their company to catch up at Camp Pendleton in 2020.<\/p>\n
(Nelvin C. Cepeda\/San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)<\/p>\n
In late August, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan conducted an aerial tour of Camp Pendleton and visited with Marines at the base where he had \u201cinitial conversations about possible commercial leasing opportunities\u201d by the Department of Defense, Phelan\u2019s spokesperson Courtney Williams told The Times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese opportunities are being evaluated to maximize value and taxpayer dollars while maintaining mission readiness and security,\u201d Williams said in a statement. \u201cNo decisions have been made and further discussions are needed.\u201d <\/p>\n
Details about the sites being considered for commercial lease remain unclear. Officials with Camp Pendleton declined to comment to The Times. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A view of the sign at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. <\/p>\n
(Allen J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Discussions over the 83-year-old base comes at a time when the Trump administration is more aggressively trying to use public lands to raise money for the federal government and rolling back protections on open space. <\/p>\n
The administration this month proposed rescinding a Biden-era rule that sought to protect public lands from industrial development and instead prioritizing the use of the land for oil and gas drilling, coal mining, timber production and livestock grazing. <\/p>\n
Secretary Doug Burgum has repeatedly emphasized that federal lands are untapped assets worth trillions of dollars. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that our natural resources are national assets that should be responsibly developed to grow our economy, help balance the Budget, and generate revenue for American taxpayers,\u201d he said in a statement to Congress in May. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A man takes in the view of Camp Pendleton property. Camp Pendleton has long remained the largest undeveloped stretch of the coastline in California. <\/p>\n
(Allen J. Schaben\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
While there has been development on Camp Pendleton those projects have solely been for military uses. A large hospital was recently added, and there are various buildings for the base\u2019s more than 42,000 active duty personnel.<\/p>\n
Camp Pendleton has won praise for balancing national security needs with environmental preservation.<\/p>\n
In 2022, Camp Pendleton was named the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u2019s military conservation partner of the year for its efforts to support the recovery of several species, including the tidewater goby, coastal California gnatcatcher, the arroyo toad and southern California steelhead. <\/p>\n
Conservation and management of the least Bell\u2019s vireo, California least tern, and western snowy plover have resulted in significant increases to on-base populations of these species, according to the agency. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A marine walks through the Santa Margarita River running through Camp Pendleton, where the arroyo toad can be found. <\/p>\n
(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
In addition to endangered populations, the base is home to a herd of North American bison, one of only two wild conservation herds of bison in California. <\/p>\n
Past efforts to build more on the camp have not been popular with the public.<\/p>\n