Photo By Cpl. Michelle Piehl | Members of the Natural Resources Division, Dr. Charles H. Black, left, a wildlife...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Members of the Natural Resources Division of the Environmental Maintenance Department aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., were recognized for superior work in conservation efforts in winning the Natural Resources Conservation Award March 20.
The Secretary of the Navy Fiscal Year 2011 Environmental award winning team, comprised of JoEllen Kassebaum, a botanist; Dr. Charles H. Black, a wildlife biologist; and David A. Boyer, the director of the Natural Resources Division; will receive the award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., June 5.
“Our mission is to support the station and the need to train Marines,” said Boyer. “If we don’t demonstrate good stewardship over our land, someone else will take the responsibility and do it for us.”
While an outside entity would solely be focused on conservation efforts, the station’s environmental department tries to create preservation efforts that do not interfere with military training operations. Miramar environmentalists work to maintain the function of the land to promote mission success, while working to go above and beyond the mandated conservation requirements.
“We comply with the national, state and local environmental laws and regulations,” said Boyer. “Many of the environmental regulations do not have exceptions for the military. We have some of the same responsibilities as the national forests, park services or the fish and wildlife service when it comes to land stewardship.”
Many other organizations sharing the mandates of environmental conservation differ greatly in their mission, explains Kassebaum. Unlike their conservation-based counterparts, the task of providing adequate training environments, while maintaining wildlife conservation efforts proves to be a challenging task for the department.
“We have to facilitate the training as much as possible without negatively impacting the resources,” said Black.
Not only does this team work to facilitate training, but also to foster education and training through the placement of kiosks and signs, said Kassebaum. One of these kiosks, near the parade deck and physical fitness test course, is dedicated to an endangered species native to the region, the San Diego fairy shrimp.
Property owned by the air station is among the least developed regions within the county, explains Black. The station has prevented urbanization of the land, thus creating a habitat conducive to harboring endangered plants and animals.
East Miramar also houses a nationally recognized natural landmark, the Miramar Mounds. The mounds provide habitat for some of the endangered species in the area, mainly the vernal pools that harbor fairy shrimp.
“It contributes back to the region in that we are a wildlife corridor,” said Kassebaum. “Some of these endangered species wouldn’t be here without the [conservation aboard the air station]. We manage in such a way that we aren’t impacting training, but we’re still giving back.”
This award was no small task for the tiny team of workers. It was given for the culmination of two years of intense conservation efforts and station planning.
Efforts recognized in the award include: training facility development, threatened and endangered species management, vernal pool conservation, native plant/water conservation demonstration garden, erosion control/re-vegetation, long-term ecosystem monitoring and invasive species control.
Future plans for the environmental crew include more educational programs through a public accessible interpretive trail. The trail will feature educational stops to read about local and endangered species located aboard the air station.
“We’re trying to make [conservation] applicable to people’s lives, not just compliance,” said Kassebaum.
Winning this award not only boosts the credibility of their work, but encourages the team to continue their preservation and conservation efforts.
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2012 19:06 |
| Story ID: | 88896 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 365 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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