Making a Park

1. Creating a park suitable for use by all Californians on lands where once the U.S. Navy, manufactured, tested, stored and transported munitions is ambitious in many respects. First and foremost, is the challenge of developing and implementing a strategy to clear munitions, reducing the risk of the public’s exposure to potential remaining Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC). The process is complicated, lengthy and expensive. It requires years of careful research and documentation to identify the types of munitions that are present and the various locations where it might be found. Procedures are defined by the U.S. Navy in cooperation with its contractors and the state and federal regulators. Weather conditions, seasonal tidal fluctuations, windows of time that are protective of endangered species or nesting of migratory birds, must all be taken into account when planning for the best time to conduct the removals. Often new and emerging technology is employed to help determine the most effective method of achieving the highest level of cleanup. But, in the end, it is impossible to remove one hundred percent of the munitions and explosives of concern (MEC). That’s where  each member of the public, including YOU become a part of the team. We’ll explain.
   

Key to planning for public use of this spectacularly scenic and uniquely historic property is public involvement in every aspect of the plans for removal of MEC and regular updates for the public about the progress, as well as the obstacles and delays. The public is kept informed through monthly Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meetings held in Vallejo on the last Thursday of the month, January through November. The meetings currently take place from 7pm-9pm at the Mare Island Conference Center to the immediate left just beyond the Wichels Causeway beyond the intersection of Mare Island Way and Tennessee St. Another good source of information is our website devoted specifically to providing details about Mare Island’s environmental cleanup. Visit www.mareisland.org

The best way to ensure that all visitors to the property will be able to enjoy this special spot forever, is to play it safe. Please, please, please, never, never, never pickup anything  you did not drop when on the walks along the shore. This is a good practice in general, as like state and national parks, we encourage you to leave what you find here for others to appreciate. Make it a habit for you, your family and friends. We will have designated places where you can handle things associated with this treasured land. Be assured that safety matters for you and for those who will visit after you and we are absolutely committed to your safety first. That includes staying back from very steep bluffs with unstable soils and slippery leaf litter, and being on the watchout for rattlesnakes and poison oak, too.

The first 98 acres where the underground ammunition storage bunkers and above ground storage magazines are located, along with the Naval Cemetery, have already been transferred for use as parkland. That is the area you are invited to visit on the Second Saturday of every month hosted by our non-profit organization Mare Island Heritage Trust in cooperation with the City of Vallejo, the property owner. From time to time the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation also guides cemetery visits and it hosts services on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day at the Naval Cemetery.

The shoreline areas are currently off-limits to public access except through pre-arranged escorted scheduled hikes and tours. These usually occur in conjunction with the Second Saturday Access Days, the Mare Faire or during the Flyway Festival. Often the hikes are guided by hike leaders with the Sierra Club Solano Group. On occasion, the Napa Solano Audubon Society hosts a birdwatching outing.

We are often asked about access to the historic ordnance worker’s houses. We are hopeful that they will become available for limited public access soon. The property has not gone through all of the environmental cleanup evaluations necessary to transfer it for addition to the Preserve. In the meantime, we are working on agreements with the Navy and the City to allow for limited guided public access to the grounds for interpretive walks. Stay tuned!

For more details about future plans for the property click here. Scroll back up to the top of the page and click on webpages depicting Brian Collett’s sketches of views from the south, west and east and one showing the Ordnance Worker’s Housing as well as a sketch that shows the Preserve Features. Click here for a PDF file of all of Brian’s five sketches and a narrative for each. To meet some of the good people who are helping to create parklands on this former Naval Ammunition Depot and National Historic Landmark, click here.