MC Backs off on Land Claim

The Marine Corps announced it is no longer interested in acquiring nearly 60,000 acres of public and private land near Twentynine Palms Air Ground Combat Center, Calif. The Marines had wanted the land to accommodate plans to expand the base’s training range, used by Marine expeditionary brigades. As a result, a planned environmental impact statement will focus instead on the remaining 360,000 acres of land and airspace that borders Twentynine Palms’ western, eastern, and southern perimeters. The Marine Corps first expressed public interest in the land last August, when it filed an Application for Withdrawal of Public Lands. The change will keep recreational areas open for public use.