Blackwater Potrero - "Blackwater West" Mercenary Camp

BlackwaterWorldwide, part of the PrinceGroup and one of the largest private military contractors in the world, proposed "Blackwater West" to be built in a valley just north of the small town of Potrero, in East San Diego County. The facility would have comprised 824 acres, including a portion of the Cleveland National Forest. The valley is one of a chain of valleys starting in Descanso, part of the original two-million acre preserve originally designated by Teddy Roosevelt. Since then, it has been reduced to 650K acres, and swiss-cheesed with private ownership. This valley has been used as a chicken ranch.

Blackwater pulled this project due to fierce public outcry on March 7, 2008. See BlackwaterOtay to review their new secret invasion into Otay Mesa!

The proposed use will substantially develop the property and utilize it for target practice using pistols and carbines, a two-mile race track for emergency vehicle training, an 18,000 sqft armory, dormitories, mess hall, etc. The intention is to service 300 students each week (15,000 trainees per year) with 60 staff in residence on-site. See [BlackwaterWestProjectDescription](/Common/BlackwaterWestProjectDescription) for details, and [Detailed Plot Plan](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/Proposed_Blackwater_detailed_plot_plan.pdf).

Blackwater does not want to admit that they represent a mercenary firm. "Civilians under arms for hire = mercenaries" precisely defines their activities. More than that, they frequently train and deploy foreigners, which makes the point even stronger. Although Blackwater says they will only engage in some activities at the proposed Blackwater West facility near Potrero, such as training of law enforcement and military, there is no licensing or oversight function that exists that can ensure that this is in fact the case, and the function of the facility could change overnight. Its proximity to Mexico is another concern.

Was this location selected so they can profit from lucrative border-security contracts, is it preferred so they can train cheap Mexican soldiers for their private army, or is this preferred so they can perform extraordinary rendition of "enemy combatants" in a partner facility in the El Hongo district of Tecate? Unfortunately, due to the Black-Ops contracts with the CIA, NSA, and military industrial complex, we may never know for sure.

One thing is certain, this insanity must be stopped. - [Stop Blackwater Presentation, April 2009](M768) - Updated with latest information (a bit over an hour). - [Stop Blackwater Presentation, by Raymond Lutz](M48) - This 50 minute video is your best starting point! ## Hot News! - BlackwaterOtay project discovered, 4-22-2008. See pictures and satellite images of this secret project flying under the radar under the pseudonym "Southwest Law Enforcement" - [PotreroPlanningGroupRecallElection](/Common/PotreroPlanningGroupRecallElection) - Details of the election which recalled all five pro-Blackwater members from the Potrero Planning Group. - StopBlackwaterRally \-- Our huge rally at the gates of Blackwater West Oct 6-7, 2007 was very successful - FOR MORE NEWS \-- see [BlackwaterNewsMedia](/Common/BlackwaterNewsMedia) for a complete list.

Portion of Forest Service Map Showing the site. Cleveland National Forest is to the North, and a portion of the purchased property is within the Forest boundary. View looking northwest from the entrance of the valley. Chicken coops are the buildings in the distance. See RoundPotreroValleyImages for more pictures **Virtual Visit to the site:** **The Rise and Fall of Blackwater in Potrero \-- As seen on TV** \*Alternatefocus.org\* @@ TODO - Make Media Topic for the above.

252-455-0039 - Address: 1876 Round Potrero Road, Potrero, CA 91963 [Map](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1876%2BRound%2BPotrero%2BRoad%2C%2BPotrero%2C%2BCA&sll=32.780106%2C-116.948267&sspn=0.011744%2C0.019441&ie=UTF8&ll=32.646169%2C-116.623993&spn=0.094097%2C0.155525&z=13&om=1) - [blackwaterWestOverviewFromSDUT.pdf](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/blackwaterWestOverviewFromSDUT.pdf): Overview Map from SDUT - [Virtual video tour of the Round Potrero Site](Common.M291) - Enjoy this 14-minute video tour, including an interview with one of the closest neighbors to the project. - Satellite Image of the valley - Currently has chicken ranch buildings on the property. Zoom out to see the adjacent areas. - [RoundPotreroValleyImages](/Common/RoundPotreroValleyImages) - Many more pictures of the site \-- Many high resolution! - [Cleveland National Forest Map](http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/forestvisitormaps/cleveland/south/13.php) - The project area is just south of the Hauser Wilderness, I think in squares numbered 24, 19, and 20. "Round Potrero Ranch" seems to be the main ranch house. Hauser Creek runs just behind the property and feeds Barrett Lake. Compare this map to the satellite map above as the cleveland national forest is not shown on the Google Map. - Official Department of Planning and Land Use documents - Web Site: - Initial Environmental Impact Report: - New project manager is Jarrett Ramaiya, 858-694-3015 - Project Designators: P06-069, R06-019, AP 06-004, Log No. 06-20-001 - Lead agency name and address: County of San Diego, Department of Planning and Land Use 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92123-1666 - Contact: (Was Greg Krzys, Project Manager (858) 694-3103; . until 4/8 or so) - Send email to Jarrett to get on the official distribution list. - Notice of Preparation: - [BlackwaterNopComments](/Common/BlackwaterNopComments) - some comments about this plan making it clear that it should not proceed. - [Proposed_Blackwater_Facility_Overall_Site_Plan.pdf](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/Proposed_Blackwater_Facility_Overall_Site_Plan.pdf): Site plan provided by Blackwater, (Very rough) - [BWW_Proj_Descr-1.pdf](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/BWW_Proj_Descr-1.pdf): Blackwater West - Project Description from earliest proposal documents (2006) - [BlackwaterWestProjectDescription](/Common/BlackwaterWestProjectDescription) - OCR'd version of the document above with comments and additional information. - [Proposed_Blackwater_detailed_plot_plan.pdf](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/Proposed_Blackwater_detailed_plot_plan.pdf): BWW Detailed Plot Plan (Zoom in to see details) - [ProximityToPacificCrestTrail](/Common/ProximityToPacificCrestTrail) - PCT is only 3.35 miles away. - [BlackwaterWestPromoVideo](/Common/BlackwaterWestPromoVideo) - Distributed by Blackwater to support the project. - [DPLUDenialOfAccessToDocs](/Common/DPLUDenialOfAccessToDocs) - The file at DPLU has been incomplete and many records are being withheld - [DPLUUsesBlackwaterAttorneyAsPlanner](/Common/DPLUUsesBlackwaterAttorneyAsPlanner) - Attorney Lori Spar represented herself as Blackwater's Attorney at one planning group meeting and at the next, she was suddenly a key planner for the county on the Blackwater project! - [Jeremy Scahill visits Potrero and speaks with local residents](Common.M289) - [AnthropologyOfPotreroSite](/Common/AnthropologyOfPotreroSite) - review of Kumeyaay history and sacred [MountKuchumaa](/Common/MountKuchumaa) - [EarlyBlackwaterEmails](/Common/EarlyBlackwaterEmails) - Revealing emails we found in the project file describing the cozy working relationship with DPLU. - [SiteVisitRequest](/Common/SiteVisitRequest) - [CitizensOversight](/Common/CitizensOversight) has requested that we be allowed to visit the site for unfettered access, for further review by the public. - [PotreroPlanningGroupMeeting20070710](/Common/PotreroPlanningGroupMeeting20070710) - Comments on the Potrero Planning Group Meeting of 2007-07-10 - [CampLockett](/Common/CampLockett) - Military installation used during WWII near Campo. Now a hazardous substances cleanup site. Why don't we use such ruined areas for new military bases instead of ruining sensitive and pristine valleys? ## General information about Blackwater - See [BlackwaterWorldwide](/Common/BlackwaterWorldwide) ## Selected Articles and Media: Selected by site curator [RaymondLutz](/Common/RaymondLutz), these articles, videos, and news releases mark important milestones in the rise of [BlackwaterWorldwide](/Common/BlackwaterWorldwide) and our struggle to Stop [BlackwaterPotrero](/Common/BlackwaterPotrero) and other locations. Listed most recent first. ## Recent Articles and Media: %KEYWORDRECENTMEDIA{KEYWORD="Blackwater"}% - **All [BlackwaterNewsMedia](/Common/BlackwaterNewsMedia)** - This page contains all the news media about Blackwater that has been submitted to the site. Some media that is very important was recently submitted to the site but has an earlier publication date\... You can find it here. ## Related Organizations

- I have asked Duncan [McFetridge](/Common/McFetridge) of [SaveOurForestAndRanchlands](/Common/SaveOurForestAndRanchlands) to provide his presentation as a video so we can distribute it more widely, as it is the only presentation where I have seen a picture of the valley and its relationship to the other remaining open space in the Cleveland National Forest. - Area of service of the [Back Country Land Trust](http://www.bclt.org), [San Diego Conservation Resources Network](http://sdcrn.org/):
[BCLT on SDCRN](http://sdcrn.org/about/back-country-land-trust.html) - [MultipleSpeciesConservationPlan](/Common/MultipleSpeciesConservationPlan) - Does not explicitly include this area. - [California Wilderness Coalition](http://www.calwild.org) - Describes [HauserWildernessAdditions](/Common/HauserWildernessAdditions), which border the site to the north. - - San Diego regional federal wilderness campaign, including [HauserWildernessAdditions](/Common/HauserWildernessAdditions) - - Activist group organizing to fight the [BlackwaterNorth](/Common/BlackwaterNorth) facility. ## Related Research - [GunfireNoiseAnalysis](/Common/GunfireNoiseAnalysis) - Our attempt to critique the "computer Model" of the gunfire analysis - [DPLU_Notification_List_0766_001.pdf](https://copswiki.org/w/pub/Common/BlackwaterPotrero/DPLU_Notification_List_0766_001.pdf): List of people notified by DPLU of the project - [ParamilitaryCamps](/Common/ParamilitaryCamps) - Various paramilitary and lethal force camps - [CovertCanyon](/Common/CovertCanyon) - discovered in May, and County stopped operation. Was Blackwater behind exposing this (competitor) facility? Perhaps. There is certainly less need for shooting ranges, etc. if [CovertCanyon](/Common/CovertCanyon) was already in operation. - [WindZero](/Common/WindZero) - New proposal in the Imperial valley, just after the split of I-8 and 98. - [ProcinctuGroup](/Common/ProcinctuGroup) - "The Ranch" \-- Camp in riverside. - [ParamilitaryLaw](/Common/ParamilitaryLaw) - Laws that restrict the formation of private armies withing the US. - [SuitableLocationsForTraining](/Common/SuitableLocationsForTraining) - Existing or closed military bases may be more suitable for training. (This whole topic assumes you think private training camps is a smart idea. Most people I talk with don't, for many reasons.) - [WilliamsonAct](/Common/WilliamsonAct) - The California Land Conservation Act, better known as the Williamson Act, has been the state's premier agricultural land protection program since its enactment in 1965. The Round Potrero Valley is protected by such a contract - [BackcountryRevitalizationViolatesBrownAct](/Common/BackcountryRevitalizationViolatesBrownAct) - Latest on our interaction with Sup. Dianne Jacob regarding censorship of public comments at this May 18th meeting in Camp. - [LoneDelegateBlocksDemocrats](/Common/LoneDelegateBlocksDemocrats) - One democrat used his influence to block both the [Blackwater Resolution](Ecdc.BlackwaterConventionResolution) and Resolutions to stop funding the war. - [Shooting Closure on Public Lands in San Diego County, CA (Federal Register: November 4, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 213)) ](http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-GENERAL/1998/November/Day-04/g29524.htm) - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is permanently closing 320 acres of public land near La Posta, southern San Diego County, California, to recreational target shooting. ### Environmental Impact Report Comments - **NOTE: COMMENTS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN STOPPED. THIS SECTION HERE FOR REFERENCE ONLY.** - The Department of Planning and Land use has requested comments. Send email to: and those will be incorporated into the report. Or, click here: [StopBlackwaterWebPetition](/Common/StopBlackwaterWebPetition) and we'll make sure it gets submitted in as many places as possible. - Mail in your comments and letters: This is a bit better as it will show additional effort on your part. (However, detailed comment on the EIR is better left till after they complete it). Send to: - Project manager: Jarrett Ramaiya, 858-694-3015 - Project Designators: P06-069, R06-019, AP 06-004, Log No. 06-20-001 - Lead agency name and address: County of San Diego, Department of Planning and Land Use 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92123-1666 From "Registered Lobbyists" > Clay, Nicole and Saathoff, Stephanie of Carpi & Clay
Are listed representing Blackwater USA. This is the same lobbying firm that represents the County of San Diego(?)