[CPEO-MEF] Demilitarized zones

[cpeo <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Demilitarized zones
Former U.S. bases being converted into wildlife refuges
Paul McHugh, Chronicle Outdoors Writer

As war drums pound, it can be tough to recall: Some administrations
actually reduced the U.S. military budget. Or at least, stopped funding
needless operations.

That's why the United States went through a round of base closures in
the 1990s. Now, at several large sites around the Bay Area, former
military acreage is quietly reverting to peaceable, public use.

We're not exactly beating bomb casings into picnic tables. But regional
wildlife refuges are scoring major gains. Recreationists will find new
spots to hike, bike, sail, paddle and bird watch. Down the line,
opportunities for suburban camping may rise.

Incorporating the 1,490-acre San Francisco Presidio and 350-acre East
Fort Baker (at opposite ends of the Golden Gate Bridge) into the Golden
Gate National Recreation Area already has won extensive media coverage.
Meanwhile, the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard earned some infamy from its
cleanup problems.

Here are other important, but less-noticed, conversions...

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/10/17/SP91094.DTL

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