Four public meetings are being held this week all around the region to launch public participation in a Patuxent River Naval Air Station (Pax) Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). According to the consultants hired to do the study, “A Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a cooperative land use planning effort conducted as a joint venture between an active military installation, surrounding cities and counties, state and federal agencies, and other affected stakeholders. The NAS PAX JLUS is an 18-month study funded through a grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and contributions by the local sponsor, Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.”

A meeting Monday at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department in Lexington Park is being followed by three additional public meetings on the Northern Neck of Virginia and on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The area encompasses the footprint of activities at Pax River.

The lone holdout in the process is Somerset County on the Easter Shore, where several commercial wind powered operations are proposed. The Navy and defense contractor community are concerned that the windmills will affect air operations.

According to Mike Hrapla, vice president of the consulting firm Matrix Design Group, Somerset will be part of the study even though their government is not participating. The wind turbines are seen as an economic development issue in the poorest county in the state.

One of the challenges of the planning process is convincing the public and government entities in the areas beyond Southern Maryland of the advantages of establishing policies to protect the valuable (economically and for the country’s defense) national and regional asset

According to a website for the plan www.paxjlus,com “The primary objective of a JLUS is to reduce potential conflicts between a military installation and surrounding areas while accommodating new growth and economic development, sustaining economic vitality, and protecting the general public’s health and safety, without compromising the operational missions of the installation. JLUS programs have three core objectives:

·         “UNDERSTANDING. Increase communication between the military, local jurisdictions, and stakeholders to promote an understanding of the strong economic and physical relationship between the installation and its neighbors.

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