Tuesday, March 23, 2005 • Fate of Sierra Army Depot approaches quickly

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, March 22, 2005 edition of the Lassen County Times.

Beads of sweat, dry mouths and hushed tones of concern are beginning to be present among many Lassen County citizens, especially families with workers at the Sierra Army Depot in Herlong.

For them, the most important time is the middle of May when the future of the depot is scheduled to be announced.

District 5 Supervisor Jack Hanson attended a meeting in Sacramento on March 15 about nationwide base realignment and closure.

A very concerned Hanson said, “The decision to keep or close the huge depot is the most important subject facing Lassen County.”

The military base-closing commission reportedly is not going to consider the economic impact caused by any loss of jobs, but for many Lassen County residents and businesses, it’s a major consideration.

On March 15, President Bush announced the nomination of nine members of a bi-partisan commission to study the feasibility of closing a number of military bases, many of them located in California.

In addition to Anthony Principi, former secretary of Veterans Affairs, the eight other nominations include: former Nevada Congressman James Bilbray, former Utah Congressman James Hansen, former White House chief of staff and former transportation secretary, Samuel Skinner; senior advisor to the Center for Defense Information, Philip Coyle; Retired Adm. Harold Gehman, Jr., Retired U.S. Navy; Retired Gen. James T. Hill, U.S. Army; Retired Lt. Gen. Claude Kicklighter, U.S. Army, and Retired Brigadier Gen. Sue Ellen Turner, U.S. Air Force.

A total of about 100 bases are scheduled for closing or realignment across the country.

Prior base realignment and closure actions cost a total of 39,332 lost civilian jobs in California since 1988, with an economic loss estimated at $9.6 billion.

“Fortunately,” said Hanson, “there are some westerners on the commission which should help in the decision-making process. That western representation is very fortunate for us.”

Although neither Senator Harry Reid nor Congressman Jim Gibbon, both of Nevada, are on the commission, the loss of the Herlong depot would negatively impact their constituencies, but Hanson said, “How much Reid or Gibbons will do remains to be seen.”

Hanson also said, “We continue to think that the Sierra Army Depot has a good chance to survive, and if the depot survives BRAC, there are unlimited opportunities for expansion.”

One of the reasons for Hanson’s cautious optimism is the more than 8,000-foot runway, which has been authorized for expansion to 11,000 feet, a bonus that most other military bases in California don’t have.

“Since the depot’s mission has changed dramatically, with FEMA and Homeland Security using the base’s huge infrastructure, this gives us a bigger bite of the optimism apple,” said Hanson.

Lori McDonald, public affairs officer at the depot, said 22 trailer loads of supplies were sent from the base to Florida last September. The shipments included a wide variety of items for the hurricane victims, everything, McDonald said, from blankets and pillows to generators.