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Covert Canyon project fails to
get needed number of APG votes
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — A packed audience filled the
Alpine Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 24 for the first
Alpine Planning Group meeting of the year, as board members and
citizens were presented with project plans for the Covert Canyon
Training Center (CCTC).
Covert Canyon is a training camp, located on 160-acres,
high above Japatul Road in Alpine, surrounded by the Cleveland
National Forest. Owned and operated by local man Marc Halcon,
the site has been used since 2006 to train military and law
enforcement personnel in live fire combat training. The site
includes two short-range firing sites and one long-rang site.
There is an inoperative 850-foot dirt runway on site, however,
only helicopters fly in and out of the camp.
In May of last year complaints started surfacing at the
county about the training facility, resulting in a cease and
desist order being issued for CCTC, requiring him to close down
the site until permitting issues would be resolved.
“This property is zoned for a specific purpose, not as
a firing range, and not for training personnel,” said Supervisor
Dianne Jacob at the time. “This property owner needs to play by
the rules.”
Halcon, however, has documentation from February last
year, which shows that county staff were well aware of his
facility and the operations taking place at the site.
“We received DOD approval in 2006 and have been
training people here ever since,” Halcon said. “We were
operating just fine for a year, until we got some unwanted media
attention. And now here I am, it all broke loose.”
Much of the unwanted attention was brought about by
Halcon’s neighbors, Robin and Clark Williams, who own the
40-acre parcel adjacent to Covert Canyon and have been living
next door for the past 15 years. The Williams’ have argued there
are many illegal activities taking place on the site as well as
continued shooting despite the cease and desist order.
The spotlight on Covert has also gained the attention
of Save Our Forests and Ranchlands, a local environmental
watchdog group. At the APG meeting, SOFAR chairman and Descanso
resident Duncan McFetridge spoke about some of the concerns with
the project.
Halcon is trying to do two things on the Covert Canyon
property, permitting of the project and use itself, as well as
removal of the Williamson Act Contract on one of the parcels on
the property.
According to Halcon, the project plans describe the
footprint as only 42 acres of the 160-acre property. Halcon
plans to move earth on the property, but there will be no
permanent structures or buildings other than what is currently
on site.
McFetridge pointed to a letter from the Department of
Planning and Land Use, which describes several incomplete
aspects to the project application as submitted. The DPLU
letters points out various environmental concerns as well as
improvements that will be needed to roads, utility lines and
water/sewer.
McFetridge raised concerns about the disposal of lead
from bullets and casings, the impact on local wildlife and
habitat, and the incursion of the on-site air strip 1.3 acres
beyond the property line into the forest.
Halcon said that the strip was there long before he
bought the property. He was not aware of the forest trespass
until a recent study, and has plans pull the runway back, as
well as the dirt berm that serves as the backstop long-range
shooting. The Williams’ however, argue that Halcon extended the
runway after he bought the land.
“According to the county’s own letter, there are major
concerns and violations on this project,” McFetridge said. “The
applicant has come here as if in good faith, but he has not even
begun to correct these serious violations. Until he does no
determination on this project can possibly be considered.”
He argued that the APG should continue their decision
until more information is available.
According to the letter from DPLU, Halcon has until
April 15 to address the litany of concerns. Halcon, and
consultant Jeff Barfield, have said that they are aware of the
concerns raised by the county and others, and are working to
correct all the problems with the site. “It all just takes
time,” Barfield said at the meeting.
Halcon says that among military and law enforcement
personnel, Covert Canyon is a needed and welcomed facility.
In the county there are limited sites for long-distance
shooting. According to Halcon, the only other range is at Camp
Pendleton. Navy Combat Command has no range facilities and many
clients must make reservations, go to different bases, and look
for spare time. Federal contracts state that you must be within
one hour of the local military base, making Covert ideal, as it
is within 45 minutes of most sites.
After a long discussion the planning group brought the
item to a vote. With five APG members absent the vote came to 7
in favor and 3 opposed to the project. However, a motion needs
at least 8 votes on the 15-member board to pass. Those in favor
were Brad Bailey, Doug Benson, Jim Easterling, Mark Price, Chuck
Taylor, Larry Urdahl, Dana Zeno. Those opposed were George
Barnett, Pat Cannon and Linda Richards.
Editor’s
note: Due to space constraints, this story only covers a portion
of the APG meeting Covert Canyon issue. See next week’s edition
of The Alpine Sun for the completion of this story.
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