Petaluma Bombing Target Archive Search Report ... - Corpsfuds.org

5 REALESTATE
5.1 CONFIRMED DOD OWNERSHIP
ARCHIVES SEARCH REPORT - FINDINGS
Petaluma 12th Naval District Target No. 9
The former Petaluma 12th Naval District Target No. 9 consisted of a total of 1,770 acres
of real estate in T4N, R6W Sections 17-21 and 29-30 Mount Diablo Base and ~eridian.~'
The Navy originally obtained 640 acres by lease after filling for condemnation in
November 1944 (i.e. U.S. vs. 640 acres of land, more or less, in Sonoma County
California; Charles B. Fentress, et al., Civil No. 5027). The area consisted of the SW114
of Section 17, the SE114 of Section 18, the NE114 of Section 19 and the NW114 of
Section 20.~' The condemnation was expanded to 1,770 acres by 30 April 1945 In
addition to the 1770 acres, the Navy leased an undefined area comprised of a road,
approximately one mile long, starting at the southwest edge of the rocket target and
heading west. Lease, NOy(R)-40759, began on 1 January 1947 for use as an access road.
There appears to have been three distinct tracts of land. Tract #1, lease NOy(R)-45262,
consisted of 1,130 acres belonging to Charles B. Fentress. Tract #2, lease NOy(R)-
45263, appears to have consisted of 90 acres belonging to the State of california." Tract
#3 was the access road and belonged to G. St. M. Stocker and his wife. At various times
prior to 1950, tract #I (NOy(R)-45262) also belonged to Frank J. Poehlmann and the
Petaluma Sportsman Club (later Farm Industries, ~nc.).))
On 22 August 1952 the Navy decided to deactivate the Petaluma target. It was removed
fiom aerial charts by 9 September 1952.)' The leases were presumably terminated
shortly thereafter and the property returned to its owners. These real estate figures
concur with the acreage numbers stated in the Final Preliminary Assessment Report, with
the exception of the fact that the report did not describe the access road.3s
5.2 POTENTIAL DOD OWNERSHIP
Based on available information (e.g. historical documents, aerial photos, interviews etc.),
the archve search did not identi@ any additional areas of undocumented military
ownership associated with Petaluma 12th Naval District Target No. 9. However, when
range safety fans or OE potential range cells are drawn for this site, they extend beyond
the acquired FUDS boundaries and potentially represent land used by the DoD. The
archive search did not find direct evidence of OE hazards on the real estate contained
within these fans beyond the FUDS boundary. The DoD accepts responsibility for
remediation of OE hazards resulting from their activities. If DoD OE hazards exist on
real estate never acquired, they are generally eligible for cleanup under the Defense
Environmental Restoration Program.
Section 5 - Real Estate
Page 35