Marina in Monterey County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Former Firing Range Becomes a State Park
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2013
1. Former Firing Range Becomes a State Park Marker
Captions: The new park land came with remnants of 15 firing ranges, 12 ammunition bunkers, a sewage plant and over 100 abandoned buildings. (upper right); Clean-up required removing and recycling over 700,000 pounds of spent ammunition and trucking lead contaminated soil to and offsite landfill. (bottom left); Military era buildings and ammo storage bunkers needed to be checked for hazardous materials and prioritized for either preservation or demolition. (bottom center); Planted by the Army to stabilize the dunes, exotic ice plants crowds out native species and will require years of effort to remove. (bottom right).
Inscription.
Former Firing Range Becomes a State Park. Fort Ord Dunes State Park. Four miles of beaches and nearly 1000 acres of coastal dunes became part of the California State Parks system in 2007, after superfund cleanup activities were completed on this section of the former Fort Ord Military Reservation. Army use preserved the open space character of the dunes, but left a legacy of exotic plants, abandoned buildings and contaminated soil. Much has been accomplished here since Fort Ord closed in 1994, but years of clean-up and restoration work still lie ahead for park staff and volunteers.
Four miles of beaches and nearly 1000 acres of coastal dunes became part of the California State Parks system in 2007, after superfund cleanup activities were completed on this section of the former Fort Ord Military Reservation. Army use preserved the open space character of the dunes, but left a legacy of exotic plants, abandoned buildings and contaminated soil. Much has been accomplished here since Fort Ord closed in 1994, but years of clean-up and restoration work still lie ahead for park staff and volunteers.
Erected by California State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Military.
Location. 36° 39.623′ N, 121° 49.29′ W. Marker is in Marina, California, in Monterey County. Marker can be reached from 8th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Marina CA 93933, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. The marker is located in Fort Ord Dunes State Park near the old Stilwell Hall parking lot.
Also see . . . Fort Ord Dunes State Park. The California Department of Parks and Recreation's page for Fort Ord Dunes. (Submitted on September 30, 2013.)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2013
2. Detail from the Former Firing Range Becomes a State Park Marker
The new park land came with remnants of 15 firing ranges, 12 ammunition bunkers, a sewage plant and over 100 abandoned buildings.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2013
3. Former Firing Range Becomes a State Park Marker
October 18, 2007
4. Former Firing Range
October 18, 2007
5. Former Ammunition Bunkers (to the right of the path)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 29, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 896 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 29, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 4, 5. submitted on September 30, 2013. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.