(April 11, 2005) The California Council on Base Support and Retention, co-chaired by Donna Tuttle, second vice chair of the California Chamber of Commerce, presented a report last week to the Governor outlining strategies for state base retention.

The report detailed the council’s military base retention strategies for the state and local communities and provided a comprehensive assessment of military sites in California.  This report is a critical element of the state’s campaign to retain military installations during the federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process now underway.

View the Report

The Chamber, in collaboration with local government and business organizations, pledged its support for the state's base retention efforts in December of 2004. The support of the Chamber, along with these organizations, underscores the strong, unified effort to protect California jobs during the 2005 round of base closures.

This year’s round of base closures will be the nation’s fifth round since 1988.  Twenty-nine bases have been closed in California out of a total of 91 bases closed nationwide. California has lost 99,000 jobs, roughly half of all jobs lost nationwide, in the four rounds of base closures.

Base Support /Retention
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed the 19-member council in November 2004 to advise the state and local communities on the BRAC process. The council conducted six public hearings around the state to gather information from communities about local retention efforts and to compile data for the base inventory requested by the Governor.  The council held three subsequent meetings to analyze the data and devise strategies presented in the council’s report.

The council’s report included the following recommendations:

• California must present a clear vision of its unique and irreplaceable role in the nation’s defense.
• California must remain a strong partner for the military and work to become an even better one.
• California must demonstrate that maximizing national readiness for the threats of the future requires maximizing the use of California’s unique defense assets.
• California must preserve and strengthen the regional defense complex that stretches across the Southwest.
• California must extend and deepen its leadership in developing technological expertise and resident human capitol.
• The state should provide assistance to local communities affected by BRAC throughout the entire BRAC process.
• The California council shall develop action teams to assist local communities in responding to potential targeting by the Department of Defense for closures.
• Should communities be affected by BRAC 2005, California must help them deal with the impact of closure and help them plan for reuse, if necessary.
• California must remain united in its approach to BRAC 2005 and beyond.

In its report, the council stresses that California must present a clear vision of the state’s unique and irreplaceable role in the nation’s defense.  Revolutionary advances in military technology and the future strategic importance of the nation’s Pacific interest places a premium on assets that are unique to the state.  California’s training areas and strategic West Coast location are unmatched for preparing military forces in the coming decades.

To view the council’s full report online, please visit www.omas.ca.gov.