Restore Forest Land

The Mt. Laguna Recreation Area is located 55 miles east of San Diego in the Cleveland National Forest, accessible via Sunrise Highway, off Interstate 8. It is a popular and varied recreation area, attracting thousands of Southern Californians throughout the year.

The Air Force Station on Mt. Laguna was established after World War II as part of the DEW Line (defense early warning system). The government promised to restore the land to its original state when it was no longer needed for national defense. Our government has not honored this promise.

The station has been abandoned since 1981.

Now the forest service is proposing to build a Job Corps Training Center on the site. This proposal is very misleading when it states it is a proposal to “utilize an existing facility.” The living quarters, service facilities, etc., after years of neglect and the subsequent deterioration and vandalism, are totally unusable. Millions of dollars would be necessary to build a new facility.

Only the several hundred acres of forest land itself, along with the magnificent desert views, can be utilized, and that land should be opened to all of the hikers, campers, picnickers and sightseers who would hope to enjoy a Forest Service Recreation Area.

In the years ahead, people in this ever-more-crowded region will have need for the tranquil, or stimulating, experience of walking or riding in the forest. Now that San Diego County has become the second most populated county in California, it is imperative that recreational areas be preserved and, whenever possible, expanded.

I hope that this forest land, as promised years ago, will be returned to public recreational access for many thousands to enjoy rather than become the private domain of 250 Job Corps trainees.

A.H. REED

San Diego