Background
Camp
Butner is located in southwestern Granville County and
northeastern Durham County, two rapidly growing areas
of North Carolina.
As development in the southern part of Granville County
and northern Durham County continues to increase, homes
and businesses are moving closer to the borders of Camp
Butner.
Currently, residents living near the ranges can sometimes
hear gunfire or related noises. Although most current
residents have been in residence long enough to understand
the mission and operations under way at Camp Butner,
the influx of new residents bring greater potential
for conflicts between residential areas and noise created
at the training site. This is especially true if the
N.C. National Guard training activities continue to
increase as expected. These activities will add to the
traffic, noise, and environmental impacts being felt
due to residential and business development in the area.
The Camp Butner Joint Land Use Study is being conducted
to help ensure future compatibility between land uses
necessary to support the military mission at Camp Butner
and the increasing civilian development occurring adjacent
to the installation.
During World
War II, the Camp was used as a training facility for
U.S. Army soldiers. Camp Butner also housed a military
hospital, firing/ammunition ranges and prisoners of
war.
In 1947, the United States War Department closed the
active military installation and transferred much of
the property, including the large hospital, to the State
of North Carolina. The North Carolina National Guard
(NCNG) continues to use approximately 4,880 acres as
a training facility for National Guard soldiers and
airmen, Army Reservists and active duty Army personnel.
As the War on Terror continues, the training activities
at Camp Butner continue to increase. There are 10 ranges
operated at Camp Butner, including combat pistol, night
firing, rifle qualification and a new multi-purpose
machinegun range. The site also is used for pre-mobilization
training for troops from both the North Carolina National
Guard and Fort Bragg.
A new medical center recently opened that will allow
regular annual and deployment physical and dental exams
to occur at Camp Butner. This facility is slated to
replace similar facilities at Fort Bragg and the Salisbury
Veterans Hospital. A multi-million-dollar construction
project to build an 800-person cantonment area began
in 2007.
In addition to military activities, the site conducts
various community events, such as “Kids on Guard,”
and has served as a host site for several civilian and
military-sponsored marksmanship competitions. These
events, as well as normal military operations on the
site, directly contribute well over $800,000 to the
local economy each year.
Much of the state-owned land that was previously part
of Camp Butner was recently incorporated into the Town
of Butner. The towns of Butner and Stem, as well as
rural Granville County, serve as home to a burgeoning
commuter population for employees of The Research Triangle
Park as well as other employers in Durham and Wake counties.
The area is also home to several state and federal institutions
with large employee numbers.
As development in the southern part of Granville County
and northern Durham County continues to increase, homes
and businesses are moving closer to the borders of Camp
Butner.
Currently, residents living near the ranges can sometimes
hear gunfire or related noises. Although most current
residents have been in residence long enough to understand
the mission and operations under way at Camp Butner,
the influx of new residents bring greater potential
for conflicts between residential areas and noise created
at the training site. This is especially true if the
N.C. National Guard training activities continue to
increase as expected. These activities will add to the
traffic, noise, and environmental impacts being felt
due to residential and business development in the area.
The Camp Butner Joint Land Use Study is being conducted
to help ensure future compatibility between land uses
necessary to support the military mission at Camp Butner
and the increasing civilian development occurring adjacent
to the installation.
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