SUBJECT: Meeting Minutes of the Desert Managers Group (DMG) Overflight
Working Group (OWG)

Date: Thursday, May 3, 2001

Place: Anza Borrego State Park

Borrego Springs, California

Chair: Mary Risser (Joshua Tree National Park)

Members Present:

Sr. Chief Michael Beauvais Naval FAA Rep (310) 725-3903

Jacki Caron Flight Safety, March ARB (909) 655-4567

Sandy Ciriaco Airspace Manager, China Lake NAS (760) 939-5423

Jim Collins Env. Prot. Spec., El Centro NAF (760) 339-2261

Jim Dice Ecologist, Anza Borrego State Park (760) 767-3074

Clarence Everly Program Coordinator, DOD, DMG (760) 255-8896

Lt. Col. Bill Frank Air Force FAA Rep (310) 725-3900

Lt. Cmdr. Ron Freitas ATC/Airspace, Pacific Fleet (619) 545-1617

Mat Fuzie Anza Borrego State Park (760) 767-3074

Ken Gebicke Park Ranger, Mojave National Preserve (760) 928-2572

John Hamill Program Coordinator, DOI, DMG (760) 255-8888

Lt. Col. Jolene Hollingshead Miramar MCAS (858) 577-6264

Michael Huber Regional Environmental Coor., Navy (619) 524-6264

Rachelle Huddleston-Lorton WCDF Biologist, BLM (760) 251-4855

Major Bill Koukourikos Director, R2508, Edwards AFB (661) 277-2508

Jan Larson Natural/Cultural Resource Dept. Navy (619) 545-2583

Lt. Chuck Lewis Public Works Officer, El Centro NAF (760) 339-2201

Kirk Lott Airspace Manager, R2508 (661) 277-2508

John O'Gara Environmental Planning, China Lake NAS (760) 939-3213

Michael Roberts Airspace Manager, China Lake NAS (760) 939-5071

Bruce Shaffer Asst. District Manager, BLM (909) 697-5205

Robert Shirley NEPA Env. Planner, Edwards AFB (661) 277-1473

Major Dennis Teitzel Operations Officer, MCAGCC (760) 830-6819

Dave Van Cleve California State Parks, Desert District (760) 767-3074

Lt. Col. Chris Volk Army FAA Rep (310) 725-3908

Timothy Williams Wilderness Coordinator, USFS (707) 562-8838

Richard Wood Director, Env. Mgmt, Edwards AFB (661) 277-1402

Approximately 15 members of the group met at Park Headquarters at 0830
for a field orientation and briefing about overflight issues. The group
traveled to Fonts Point, where park staff pointed out areas of the park
being impacted by fixed-wing and rotary flights. They also provided an
overview of the natural and cultural history of the park. Participants
returned to park headquarters for the general meeting.

General Administration

1.  Dave Van Cleve welcomed the OWG to Anza Borrego State Park and
    provided a brief overview of the park. Anza Borrego State Park is
    approximately 600,000 acres and the largest state park in the
    lower 48. It is the lowest, highest, and hottest park in the
    California State Park system.

2.  Mary Risser announced that she was transferring to Golden Spike
    National Historic Site in June. Dennis Schramm, the Management
    Assistant at Mojave National Preserve, has agreed to serve as the
    Chair of the OWG for the remainder of the fiscal year.

3.  Mike Roberts, the Air Space Manager at China Lake Naval Air Station,
    will serve as the Vice Chair for the remainder of the fiscal year
    and will assume the Chair duties next fiscal year. An individual
    from the land management agencies will be identified to serve as the
    Vice Chair.

4.  The mailing list was updated to remove the names of people who are
    no longer active in the OWG and new names were added.

5.  John Hamill provided a briefing about the DMG and described the
    formation of the OWG. He also provided copies of the DMG's 5-year
    plan.

Agenda Topics

1.  Since the creation of the OWG, the creation of a generic
    interpretive brochure that explains the importance of military
    training opportunities to visitors of the public lands in the
    California Desert has been a work plan item. The brochure was
    envisioned as a tool to educate the public about why military
    flights were occurring and to inform them that the military was
    authorized to fly over public lands. It would also explain that the
    OWG had been established as a vehicle for Department of Defense
    installations and land managers to work together to address issues.

Mary Risser circulated a draft brochure for the group's review. Most of
the language comes directly from the OWG's charter. She also circulated
a very rough mock-up of a brochure to give the members an idea of the
type of lay-out that could be used. An electronic version will be sent
to the OWG. Comments are due to Mary by the end of May. This gives
members the opportunity to have public information officers review the
text and provide comments. Mary will work with Mike Roberts to compile
the comments and make necessary changes to the text before giving it to
the DMG's Information group. After DIRT provides a draft brochure, the
OWG will review it before the brochure goes to the DMG for final
approval.

2.  Clarence Everly produced a map of Joshua Tree National Park that
    included all of the military routes that flew over the park. Any
    other land managers, who are interested in having a similar map of
    their area, should contact Clarence directly.

3.  Jacki Caron, the Aircraft Mishap Coordinator at March ARB, presented
    a briefing to advise land managers of procedures to follow if a
    military aircraft went down in their area.

-   Call the nearest military installation immediately. Provide the
    location and type of aircraft, if known.

-   Coordinate Fire/Rescue response (if needed)

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   If there are no apparent survivors, do not go near the crash due to
    unknown HAZMAT or unsafe conditions.

-   Secure the perimeter with any resource you have (i.e. rangers,
    sheriffs). If resources permit, establish an "entry-control point"
    restricting non-essential personnel from entering the mishap site.

-   Attempt to stay up-wind from crash-site.

-   If crash survivors are taken by ambulance, notify military
    representative as to location of medical treatment facility.

-   Once a military representative (accident investigator or emergency
    response member) arrives on scene, they will assume control of the
    mishap **site** as the "On-scene commander.

-   Expect a high level of press interest, especially initially. Limit
    access to the mishap site to non-military personnel. If any land
    managers or park visitors witnessed the mishap, provide the military
    representative a list of names and phone numbers for possible
    interview by investigators.

-   Land managers will provide briefings to the military "on-scene
    commander" about resource issues, including sensitive species,
    cultural sites, wilderness, etc that may be affected by the rescue
    and recovery operation.

-   Communication and Cooperation is essential during the rescue,
    investigation and recovery for all agencies involved.

-   The 24-hour FAA Regional Operations Center is 310-725-3300. The
    USAF/FAA Liaison is 310-725-3900.

4.  Staff from Anza Borrego State Park provided an overview of the
    military flights over the park. The OWG identified three primary
    issues: aircraft that strays from an identified military training
    route (MTR); transient flights; and rotary aircraft. After hearing
    the description of the rotary aircraft use, the members speculated
    that Border Patrol, Customs, or DEA were probably conducting some
    type of operations over the park.

> Action items include:

-   Staff at Anza Borrego will begin compiling specific information
    about flights (date, time, location, type of aircraft, etc.)

-   Staff will immediately contact one of the military representatives
    to the FAA. Phone numbers were provided.

-   Mike Beauvais will set up a meeting between the park staff and the
    appropriate staff from LeMoore NAS and Yuma NAF to identify issues
    and determine if mitigation can be made.

5.  Bruce Shaffer discussed the issues of Peninsula bighorn sheep as
    stipulated in the settlement agreement between the BLM and the
    Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and PEER. The BLM and
    Clarence Everly will exchange datafiles to promote a better
    understanding of the issues. Clarence will be providing the BLM will
    a map of the routes over critical Peninsula bighorn sheep habitat.
    Bruce also informed the OWG that a BLM representative will attend
    the Recovery Team meetings. The OWG will continued to discuss the
    issues.

Mary Risser informed the OWG that Lt. Col. Bill Frank and Senior Chief
Mike Beauvais have announced their retirement plans. Both have been
active participants in the OWG and have provided welcome support. We
wish them well in their future endeavors.

The next meeting will be scheduled in early September at China Lake NAS.