For 83 years, Camp Pendleton has remained the largest undeveloped stretch of California’s coastline spanning from Santa Barbara to the Mexico border.
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Change may be on the horizon, my colleague Hannah Fry writes, as the Department of Defense is considering making a portion of the 125,000 acre base available for development or lease. If successful, it would be unprecedented for the state’s largest military base.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan conducted a survey last month of the areas that could be leased for commercial use, but details about the sites being considered remain unclear.
The move to develop Camp Pendleton comes at a time when the Trump administration is aggressively trying to use public lands to raise money for the federal government while rolling back protections on open space.
A controversial plan to sell off public land across Western states was nixed this summer amid bipartisan backlash.
The failed measure would have mandated the sale of between roughly 600,000 and 1.2 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land in 11 Western states, including California.
That hasn’t exactly stopped the Trump administration from seeking out opportunities to seize federal lands that it claims are untapped assets worth trillions of dollars.
Efforts to expand
Given the base’s coastal location, commercial development on the site could be lucrative for the federal government. But previous efforts to build more on the camp have not been popular with the public.
In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Marine Corps put forth a plan to build 128 homes for officers and their families on a 32-acre bluff at San Mateo Point near Trestles Beach, one of the nation’s most famous surfing spots. The California Coastal Commission ultimately rejected the project.
In 2021, the Department of the Navy sought feedback on hosting “critical energy and water infrastructure resiliency projects” on a portion of Camp Pendleton. It’s unclear whether any potential projects were identified.
The site is also a critical area for endangered and threatened species such as the tidewater goby, coastal California gnatcatcher, the arroyo toad and Southern California steelhead. The base is also home to a herd of North American bison, one of only two wild conservation herds of bison in California.
Impact on nearby towns
Since Camp Pendleton opened in 1942, it has developed a deeply entwined relationship with its southern neighbor, Oceanside. The once sleepy beachside town has become a military city and recreation hub.
City leaders say development on the base would certainly have an effect on Oceanside.
Service members and their families frequently travel off the base to surrounding communities to shop and dine out, providing a steady customer supply for local businesses including those that cater heavily to Marines.
“We have neighborhoods that are literally right up the gate, who are very impacted when there are changes in traffic or other developments there,” Oceanside Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce told The Times, adding that the city has a deep respect for the base and any shifting away from its original mission of training Marines would “be deeply concerning.”
Funding Trump’s Golden Dome
NBC News reported that funds from development on Camp Pendleton could potentially fund Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense project, citing defense sources.
The project’s initiative is to build a missile defense shield for the United States modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome that would include already existing surface-to-air defenses, ships and fighter jets. It could also involve space-based interceptors and other technology the U.S. has yet to develop for that purpose.
“The Big Beautiful Bill” has already provided almost $25 million for the Golden Dome, which the White House estimates could cost $175 billion.
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This morning’s must read
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For your downtime
Going out
Spooky season: Gather all your boos! These 31 things to do in L.A. will spook and charm you this October.
Travel: The vacation spots you keep returning to, from Zion to the “very best beach” in Hawaii.
Staying in
Movies: All the movies of Paul Thomas Anderson, ranked from worst to best.
Books: Grab a cup of tea and cozy up to these 4 British mysteries this fall.
Recipes: Here’s a recipe for gochujang chocolate chunk banana bread.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
A question for you: What do other drivers do on the road that frustrates you?
We’re looking for your takes on L.A. driving etiquette. Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from Times photograher Allen J. Schaben at the fourth annual “A Great Day in the Stoke,” a celebration of Black surf culture in Huntington Beach.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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