In a hearing before the State Historical Resources Commission today, a Marine Corps Installations West representative cited to eligibility deficiencies and incompatibility with training requirements as the primary Department of the Navy and Marine Corps’ concerns with the proposed National Register of Historic Places listing of Trestles Beach.

One of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton’s primary missions is to provide operating forces with the training opportunities necessary to ensure combat readiness.  The requested designation as a National Historic District poses unacceptable risks to this essential military training.  A thorough Department of the Navy and Marine Corps review and evaluation of the Trestles Historic District nomination concluded that the proposed nomination likely does not meet National Register eligibility criteria under either National Register criterion A (associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history) or criterion consideration G (A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance).

Since 1942, the Marine Corps has used the waters and beach areas within the boundaries of the proposed Trestles Historic District for military exercises and training. This area provides the only amphibious access to much of the Base's training areas, and is essential to accomplishing the base’s mission.  As they have traditionally done, the Navy and Marine Corps will continue to support shared use and remain committed to ensuring the beach remains a widely available and accessible resource.

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