[CPEO-MEF] "Re: Ft. Huachuca is not sustainable:"

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

The following letter was sent on Southwest Central for Biological Diversity
letterhead by:
 
Robin Silver, M.D.
Conservation Chair
PO Box 39629
Phoenix, AZ 85069-9629
Tel 602.246.4170
Fax 602.249.2576
rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org
www.sw-center.org

Please contact Robin Silver if you have any comments or questions.



December 12, 2000


Mr. Ray Clark
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (I&E)
U.S. Army

Dear Mr. Clark,

Re: Ft. Huachuca is not sustainable: 

1. Water balance on post will not be achieved in the next ten years.
Sustainability, most accurately reflected by off post groundwater pumping
effects, officially assigned to the fort, will most likely never be achieved.

2. A new U.S. Army commissioned, Harvard University study concludes that
even reduced U.S. Army presence at Ft. Huachuca will result "in decreased
stream flow in the San Pedro River". 

Ft. Huachuca is not sustainable: Water balance on post will not be achieved
in the next ten years.  Sustainability, most accurately reflected by off
post groundwater pumping effects, officially assigned to the fort, will
most likely never be achieved.

	We are in the process of reviewing the administrative record for our
ongoing litigation concerning the inappropriateness of U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's removal of the "jeopardy" Biological Opinion from Ft.
Huachuca's operations.  Ft. Huachuca records include a troubling email from
Dr. Jim Spotila, U.S. Army Chief Scientist, to Col. Brent Green, Ft.
Huachuca Judge Advocate General.  This email refers to a discussion between
Col. Green and Dr. Spotila regarding the Ft. Huachuca Biological Opinion.
In the email, Dr. Spotila writes:

 "…There is concern at the level of the Principal Deputy ASA (I&E) that
Fort Huachuca is not sustainable in terms of water use.  I have told him
that it is and that the installation is moving to reach a water balance
ASAP…" (Spotila 1999) 

The implication of Dr. Spotila's email obvious.  Concerns about Ft.
Huachuca's sustainability have been alleviated.  This is not appropriate.
Even if Ft. Huachuca does reach zero balance on post some day, this does
not mean that the base is sustainable.  We trust that the Assistant
Secretary of the Army will not be deceived by such academic duplicity.  Dr.
Spotila confuses "sustainable" with "water balance".
Ft. Huachuca has admitted local responsibility for the more than 30,000
groundwater dependent troops and associated personnel: 

"…Boardman (Ft. Huachuca Garrison Commander Col. Michael Boardman) said the
military impact to the area includes 34,341 people - 5,159 are active duty
people, 5,247 civilian employees including contractors, 9,348 military
family members and 14,587 military retirees and their family members…"
(Sierra Vista Herald 1999)

	The San Pedro Expert Study Team Expert Study Team estimates the
groundwater pumping deficit for the year 2000 at approximately 7000 acre
feet per year. (CEC 1999)  In the October 27, 1999, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Biological Opinion on Ft. Huachuca, Ft. Huachuca admits to
responsibility for 73%, or 5,121 acre-feet per year, of the groundwater
pumping in the Sierra Vista Sub-basin.  US Fish and Wildlife Service
assigns 83%, or 5,802 acre-feet, of all groundwater pumping in the
sub-basin to Ft. Huachuca (USFWS 1999).
	Currently, Ft. Huachuca pumps 2,355 acre-feet per year on post (USFWS
1999, SAIC 1998). Fort Huachuca has only committed to recharge 600
acre-feet per year over the next ten years (USFWS 1999).  Obviously, 600
acre-feet is well short of the 2,355 acre-feet per year pumped on post, and
far short of the 5,121 acre-feet per year for which Ft. Huachuca bears
official responsibility.
In addition, we now find that local U.S. Army expenditures and personnel
have increased at Ft. Huachuca in the last two years since the figures used
in the Biological Opinion were computed:

"…NOONDAY POPULATION…TOTAL…Sep 98 14,793…Sep 99 15,466…% Change…(+) 4.5
[%]" (page 3)

"…Fort Huachuca Workforce Total FY97 10,116…FY98 (+)2.4 [%] 10,362…FY99
(+)7.5 [%] 11,140" (page 5)

"…DA Civilians/Contractors FY97 4,413…FY98 (+)12.0 [%] 4,941…FY99 (+)6.5
[%] 5,262" (page 5)

"…RESERVE COMPONENTS
	Fort Huachuca plays a significant role in accomplishing the mission of the
Reserve Component (RC) Forces which include the Army National Guard, Army
Reserve, and Marine Corps Reserve.  The RC's mission has continued to be
accomplished over the years with the use of military schools and training
areas at Fort Huachuca.  During FY 99, 11 RC units trained at Fort Huachuca.
	Up from 6,950 RC Mandays in FY 98, there were 18,660 RC Mandays (51.8
full-time equivalents) used in training at Fort Huachuca in FY99.  Some
personnel train on the installation for 2 days a month while others are
assigned 3-year tours as advisors…" (page 7)

"…Arizona Purchases (in Millions)…Sierra Vista FY98…$158.1…FY99 (+)32.1 [%]
$201.9" (page 12)

"…Fort Huachuca's contribution to the Cochise County economy is reflected
in the above graph…Total Fort Huachuca Expenditures in Cochise County
(Millions of Dollars) FY98 433.2 FY99 485.8…In FY99, Fort Huachuca spent
$485.8 million in Cochise County, which is and increase of 12.1 percent, or
$52.6 million, from the previous year's expenditures.
The value of Fort Huachuca's expenditures is more dramatically demonstrated
when the CERL economic impact multipliers of 1.684 for Cochise County…are
applied to the $458.8 million expended in Cochise County alone.  The
extended impact of those Fort Huachuca expenditures totals $818.1 million
for Cochise County…" (page 15) (Ft. Huachuca 1999)

	Water balance on post may be achieved someday.  It will certainly not be
achieved in the next ten years.  Ft. Huachuca will never achieve
sustainability; however, until at the very least, the base mitigates for
the groundwater pumping resulting from its activities.

 
Ft. Huachuca is not sustainable: A new U.S. Army commissioned, Harvard
University study concludes that even reduced U.S. Army presence at Ft.
Huachuca will result "in decreased stream flow in the San Pedro River".

A December 2000, Harvard University study, commissioned by the U.S. Army,
has concluded that even restrictive future scenarios will result in
decreased stream flow in the San Pedro River:

"The first, and most important findings involve the fundamental factor for
life in an urbanizing desert - water.  All of the Scenarios - generated
Alternative Futures, even those which are most restrictive of population
growth and water use, result in overall loss of groundwater storage, and in
decreased stream flow in the San Pedro River." (Steinitz, et al. 2000)

This includes the scenario whereby, 

"The Fort remains open but is reduced to only those units and activities
associated with the Electronic Proving Ground; all other units and
activities are transferred to other facilities...Approximately 1500 active
duty troops, civilian contractors, and support personnel remain at Fort
Huachuca…" (Steinitz, et al. 2000)

This scenario fails to accurately account for the fact that with the
Electronic Proving Grounds as Ft. Huachcuca's sole remaining mission, many
of the more than 30,000 people associated with Ft. Huachuca's subsidies and
facilities will seek support elsewhere.  Consequently, drastic reduction of
Ft. Huachuca's groundwater-dependent activities will not be supportive of
continuing local growth as portrayed in the Future Alternatives scenario.
Reducing Ft. Huachuca's missions offers the only chance of sustaining the
base flows in the San Pedro River for at least the next 10 - 20 years.
For information please contact Dr. Robin Silver, Conservation Chair, CBD,
P.O. Box 39629, Phoenix, AZ 85069-9629; phone: 602.246.4170; fax:
602.249.2576; or email: rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org.

				

		Sincerely,
					 
		Robin Silver, M.D.




Citations:

CEC 1999. Commission for Environmental Cooperation San Pedro Expert Team,
Sustaining and Enhancing Riparian Migratory Bird Habitation on the Upper
San Pedro River, Final Draft, March 1999.

Ft. Huachuca 1999.  "Annual Economic IMPACT STATEMENT Fiscal Year 1999,
October 1, 1998 - September 30, 1999, Fort Huachuca, Arizona", October 1999.

SAIC 1998.  Science Applications International Corporation, Programmatic
biological assessment for Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Report to Directorate of
Engineering and Housing, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, US
Army Garrison, Fort Huachuca, AZ., 1998.

Sierra Vista Herald 1999.  "Commander sees success by working in
partnerships," Bill Hess, Sierra Vista Herald, October 3, 1999.

Spotila 1999.  Spotila, Ph.D., James, U.S. Army Chief Scientist, Email to
Col. Brent Green, Ft. Huachuca Judge Advocate General, August 29, 1999. 

Steinitz, et al. 2000.  Steinitz, Ph.D., Carl, Harvard University, et al.,
Draft Summary Report: Alternative Futures for the Upper San Pedro Basin
Arizona, U.S.A. and Sonora, Mexico, December 2000.

USFWS 1999. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Opinion, AESO/ES
2-21-98-F-266, concerning activities authorized, carried out, or funded by
the Department of the Army at and near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, US Fish and
Wildlife Service, October 27, 1999.

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