For Immediate Release: September 18, 2000
Contact:  Doran Sanchez (909) 697-5220 or Jan Bedrosian (916) 978-4616

SALTON SEA TEST BASE TRANSFERRED FROM NAVY TO BLM

As a key part of the overall cooperative effort to restore the Salton Sea the Department of the Navy recently transferred ownership of the 5,840-acre Salton Sea Test Base to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The transfer  will enable BLM to work with other agencies in the Department of the Interior, specifically the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), as well as other Federal, State, and local agencies to determine the best long-term use of the property.

The SSTB is located along the southwestern shore of the Salton Sea, about 35 miles northwest of El Centro in Imperial County.  It was established by the Navy in 1942 for seaplane and bombing range operations, rocket development, and other uses.  After subsequent use by the Army, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Air Force, the Navy declared the site excess and began a process to dispose of the site in accordance with the Base Closure and Relocation Act of 1988.

In 1993, BLM expressed interest in using the base for recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat, and in conjunction with the FWS and BOR, began a process to plan future management of the site.  Recently, pursuant to the Salton Sea Reclamation Act of 1998, Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior, through BOR, to conduct a feasibility study and design and construct a project to reclaim the Salton Sea.  A draft environmental impact statement on the proposal was published in January 2000.

The Secretary of the Interior designated BLM to accept the transfer of these lands from the Navy, using BLM's authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.  The transfer includes provisions for environmental remediation of the lands by the Navy to address issues involving unexploded ordnance and other potentially hazardous materials.

Tim Salt, California Desert District Manager, said decisions on how best to use these lands for public purposes will be made after necessary environmental reviews are completed by Federal and state agencies, in conjunction with local government agencies, Indian Tribes, and others.  Possible plans include use by BOR and the Salton Sea Authority to perform pilot and demonstration-scale projects of salt-water evaporation systems.

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California Desert District Office - 6221 Box Springs Blvd.
Riverside, California - (909) 697-5220