MCB CAMP LEJEUNE -- Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune will begin issuing warning letters to individuals who trespass on Browns Island in an effort to increase community safety around the island and its surrounding waterways.
“Browns Island and surrounding navigable waters remain off limits to boaters due to live-fire training exercises conducted in the area and the danger of unexploded ordnance (UXO),” said Col. Samuel C. Schoolfield, assistant chief of staff for operations, Marine Corps Installations East - MCB Camp Lejeune. “We remain grateful for the wonderful support we receive from the surrounding community and want to continue that strong relationship, but we also want to ensure our community stays safe.”
Dating as far back as the 1940s, Browns Island served as a training area and still contains UXO dangerous to anchoring boaters or individuals travelling on the island. On June 10, the installation conducted a controlled detonation of UXO, a 250-pound bomb, obscured by high tide.
While warning signs around the island and its waterways identify the area as off-limits for anchoring and landing, individuals continue to endanger their lives by ignoring warnings.
“We care about the safety and the lives of our community members, and going to Browns Island is not worth the risk to you or your family,” said Schoolfield. “While safety remains the most important thing, anchoring around or traveling on the island is illegal.”
Trespassing on Browns Island violates several laws and regulations including Title 18, U.S.C. 1382, which governs entering military installations and can result in a misdemeanor punishable by fine and imprisonment under federal law.
For additional information on the off-limits areas and restrictions surrounding Browns Island, please visit https://www.lejeune.marines.mil/Visitors/Browns-Island-Policy/.