Monthly Archives: January 2012
New Momentum for a Fort Ord National Monument
From KAZU (NPR for the Monterey Bay Area): “There’s a distinction to be made when talking about designating Fort Ord a National Monument. It’s a plan that does not include all of the former Army base. The proposal focuses on two areas of open space: the public lands currently managed by the Bureau of Land … Continue reading
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Next week, Henrietta Stern of FORT Friends and Gordon Smith of Keep Fort Ord Wild, will head to Washington, DC, to meet with federal officials to encourage the designation of a Fort Ord National Monument. From the Monterey County Weekly: Local activists head to D.C. to push for Fort Ord National Monument. With more than … Continue reading
A veteran’s perspective: Make Fort Ord a national monument
Mark Starr, program director for the Vet Voice Foundation and veteran of the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, expressed his support in an op-ed to The Salinas Californian, for a Fort Ord national monument. For many men and women in uniform, our country’s national monuments — from the Statue of Liberty in New … Continue reading
Outdoor Enthusiasts Want to Preserve Open Space
During January’s town hall meeting with Secretary Salazar, there was a tremendous show of support from outdoor enthusiasts who want to preserve open space in Monterey County by making the Fort Ord Public Lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a national monument. During the meeting, Steve Shimek, Executive Director for The Otter Project Inc., and the Program … Continue reading
Interior Secretary Wants President to Designate Ft. Ord a National Monument
From the Association of Defense Communities’s Defense Communities 360: Following a town hall meeting in Marina, Calif., Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said designating the former Fort Ord as a national monument would be the best way to conserve the site’s coastal lands along Monterey Bay. …Given Salazar’s track record with recommending closed military installations for … Continue reading
Veterans support for national monument
Vietnam veteran, Gordon Smith, presented Secretary Salazar a VFW Post 5888 letter to Salazar from the local VFW (Post No. 5888) along with a handwritten petition from veterans – ranging from World War II to the Iraq War – in support of a Fort Ord Soldiers National Monument.
Making Fort Ord a National Monument
From the Sierra Club’s Lay of the Land blog: A diverse group of people packed last Friday’s listening session, hosted by Department of Interior’s Secretary Salazar. In the end, the message from the Secretary and the crowd was clear, there is strong support to permanently protect Fort Ord, perhaps as a national monument. The U.S. Army … Continue reading
Californians Ask Salazar: Will President Obama Help Us Make Fort Ord America’s Next National Monument?
From Vet Voice Foundation: At the invitation of veterans, businesses, and the local community, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last Friday paid a visit to Fort Ord, a former military base located on the Monterey Peninsula near Salinas, California. At a listening session to discuss the future of the site, local activists called on the secretary and … Continue reading
Support and reaction from Keep Fort Ord Wild
Check out the comments and clips from the town hall meeting with Secretary Salazar that local community coalition, Keep Fort Ord Wild, posted on their blog. Keep Fort Ord Wild is dedicated to the preservation of trails, recreation, wildlife and habitat on Fort Ord. Read their post.
Ken Salazar calls for Fort Ord national monument
From the Monterey County Herald: Monterey County: Interior chief calls BLM land ‘crown jewel’ Interior Secretary Ken Salazar ended a visit to Monterey County on Friday with a call to President Barack Obama to designate Fort Ord as a national monument. Conducting an informal poll of the audience in a town-hall type meeting in Marina, … Continue reading