April is widely recognized as Earth Month around the globe. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton protects, conserves, and honors the Earth on this occasion as well as every day. A lot of land, resources, and effort goes into caring for wildlife at the installation.
The Environmental Security Department is the main force fighting climate change and land degradation. This department is made up of a variety of staff. It includes logistical and environmental planners, 10 biologists who manage coastal, riverine, and upland species within the base, and also implements policies to prevent habitat loss.
“It’s the job and responsibility, which drives the organization to help manage the natural resources that Camp Pendleton has,” said Melissa Vogt, a conservation law enforcement officer with Environmental Security. “Camp Pendleton is a biodiversity hotspot. If it weren’t for Camp Pendleton existing, all this coastline would be condos and hotels.”
A wildlife biologist working with endangered species or threatened species should have the ultimate goal of getting the animal off the listing and making sure that the species is doing well.Nate Redetzke, Environmental Securitywildlife biologist
The installation houses 19 federally listed species as well as many state species that are endangered or threatened. California Lease Turn is one of those endangered species. This bird lives along California’s coast and is protected by The Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan.
“The Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan, which is a combination of military priorities, natural resource management priorities, and outdoor recreation priorities, is a major document that outlines methods to help preserve this as desert habitat,” said Vogt.
“Every command who conducts training on or near protected land is given this document to ensure the viability of the base.”
A large quantity of Camp Pendleton’s budgeting is set aside for conservation due to the amount of protected land. If the installation isn’t protected properly, Camp Pendleton could potentially lose rights to continue training in certain areas.
“If an acre of land is disturbed, depending on the species, Camp Pendleton may be required to mitigate and set aside double or even ten times the amount of land somewhere else on the installation that can’t be used for training,” said Nate Redetzke, a wildlife biologist with the Uplands Management Section, Environmental Security. “Whenever the Marine Corps wants or is required to construct new courses, or move a course to another area, then they have to complete the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 process.”
Protecting Nature
Photo by Lance Cpl. Nataly Espitia
NEPA’s primary objectives are to ensure that agencies consider every aspect of a proposed project’s environmental impact, and to inform and involve the public of potential hazards and their alternatives.
Two endangered species have been reduced to threatened by the Environmental Security Department, NEPA, land conservation, environment protection, and NEPA.
“For any wildlife biologist that’s working with a threatened or endangered species, the ultimate goal is getting the animal off the list and making sure the species is doing well,” said Redetzke. “Camp Pendleton is very special. It is the most undeveloped area between Los Angeles, San Diego. Nowhere else will there be expansive land like this where habitats can be restored in order to make it more beneficial for the native ecosystem.”
Camp Pendleton is able to maintain the same training environment and offer the same quality training opportunities as it has over the years because Environmental Security has taken control of protecting the environment. Camp Pendleton will continue to take precautions to ensure that the environment doesn’t adversely affect animals thriving in their last habits.
