The vast expanse of forest at A.P. Hill helps buffer noise from firing ranges. So the post has been working with conservation agencies to obtain conservation easements on land outside the gates to maintain that separation and restrict incompatible development.

I’m sure the folks at Port Tobago (just east of Port Royal) would love to know that the forest dampers the noise from the new explosive disposal training facility that’s right across the road from them.

I’m sure the folks in Bowling Green would also love to know that they don’t hear any of the noise from A. P. Hill because of the forest, either.

Out of curiosity, is the town of Bowling Green an “incompatible development”? Are they going to annex the town and bulldoze it? (Fingers crossed!)

Fort A. P. Hill has a lot of nerve to be whining about development around its borders when they bring nothing into the county.

The civilian staff that they hire is nonexistent compared to other places (e.g., Dahlgren). They bring in no commercial development compared to Dahlgren either. They pay a couple thousand dollars every year ($3,140 in FY07) in return for their tax-exempt status. If that land was privately held, the county would probably getting a hundred times that amount.

Before a Norfolk-based Navy squadron heads to Iraq, it will be training for combat on the Rappahannock River.

Navy Lt. Michael Quaresimo, a training officer with Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, said a 12-person team will conduct exercises on the river Tuesday through Thursday.

Quaresimo said training would occur within 21/2 miles east and west of the Port Royal bridge on U.S. 301, as well as at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County.

[…]

He encouraged people boating on the river not to approach the Navy gunboats, for safety reasons.

Yeah, I would recommend staying away from the *cough*SEALs*cough*.

UPDATE: For those doubting my SEAL conclusion, according to Wikipedia:

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, a naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8 and 10.

A Marine was killed in a training accident Friday at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County.

Authorities said the Marine died after a Humvee overturned at about 9 a.m. during training. Four others in the vehicle suffered minor injuries.

A spokesman said the incident occurred on the post’s Convoy Live-Fire Range.

The victims’ names have not been released.

All five Marines were with the 1st Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team — or FAST — Company based out of Norfolk. That company falls under the Second Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Lejuene, North Carolina.