[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4965-4966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2913]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent to Prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact
Statement for Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) Renewal, AZ
The United States Air Force (Air Force) will prepare a legislative
environmental impact statement (LEIS) to assess the potential
environmental impacts of renewal of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force
Range (BMGR), Arizona. The LEIS will be prepared in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The current land withdrawal and reservation of the BMGR was
established by the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 (Public Law
99-606) for the period ending on November 6, 2001. The Act provides
that the Air Force may seek renewal of the BMGR withdrawal, in
connection with which the Secretary of the Air Force will publish a
legislative EIS addressing legislative alternatives and the effects of
continued withdrawal.
The purpose of the proposed BMGR renewal is to retain a military
aircrew training range essential to near- and long-term preparedness of
United States tactical air forces. Renewing the land withdrawal will
provide for the continued effective implementation of ongoing air
services training missions while maintaining the flexibility to adapt
to the training needs of new technologies as they develop. The
performance of air operations in combat is directly related to the
quality and depth of training. BMGR provides a unique combination of
attributes that serve this training requirement, including the
following: favorable location and flying weather; sufficient land and
airspace; diverse terrain; and developed training support facilities.
A range of alternatives, including the No Action alternative
required by NEPA, will be considered. Three alternatives are described
below.
Proposed Action: Renew Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
withdrawal and reservation for an indefinite period of time with
Congressional review every 15 years. The existing land withdrawal and
reservation, consisting of 2,664,423 acres, would be reauthorized for
an indefinite period of time. The land would be reserved by Congress
for use by the Air Force for an armament and high-hazard test area;
training for aerial gunnery, rocketry, electronic warfare, and tactical
maneuvering and air support; and other defense-related purposes. Every
15 years Congress would review the Air Force's continuing military need
for the land, the environmental effects, and the needs of competing
uses for the land and could adjust, if warranted, the terms and
conditions of the withdrawal. Without limiting the priority use by the
Air Force, the land would be managed in part by the Bureau of Land
Management and in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Specifically, the Bureau of Land Management would manage 1,842,423
acres of the BMGR pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 and other applicable law. (The limited acreage of State
Trust Land within this portion of the BMGR would continue under Air
Force use.) The remaining 822,000 acres of the BMGR are within the
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and would be managed by the Fish
and Wildlife Service pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System
Act of 1976.
Alternative A: Renew the existing BMGR land withdrawal and
reservation for 25 years. The existing land withdrawal and reservation,
consisting of 2,664,423 acres, would be reauthorized for a specified
term of 25 years, rather than for an indefinite time with periodic
reviews. Otherwise, this alternative is like the Proposed Action.
No Action Alternative: No renewal of the BMGR land
withdrawal and reservation. The land would not be reserved for use by
the Air Force. The lands within the existing BMGR boundary would be
managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the State of Arizona, and the
Fish and Wildlife Service under existing authorities. The No Action
alternative would result in the fragmentation or cancellation of
training missions accomplished at the BMGR. DOD would prepare
appropriate environmental documentation to obtain Federal Aviation
Administration approval to reclassify the existing restricted airspace
to a Military Operation Area (MOA). This would allow for air-to-air
training operations to continue, but would preclude air-to-ground
training missions.
To provide a forum for interested parties to provide comments on
the
[[Page 4966]]
scope of the LEIS, a series of scoping meetings will be held in eight
southern Arizona communities. In addition, written comments will be
accepted throughout the scoping period, which ends April 1, 1996.
Scoping meetings will be held at the following times and locations.
Public Meeting Locations and Times
Phoenix--February 20, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Glendale Community College,
Student Union, Student Lounge, 6000 W. Olive Ave.
Sells--February 24, 1996, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Tribal Council Chambers
Tucson--February 26, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., U of A Medical College,
Duval Auditorium, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.
Ajo--February 27, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Ajo Community Center, Bud
Walker Park, 290 E. 5th St.
Santa Rosa--February 28, 1996, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Santa Rosa Boarding
School
Yuma--March 4, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Yuma Civic Center, 1440 Desert
Hills Drive
Gila Bend--March 5, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Gila Bend Union High School,
Logan Auditorium, 308 N. Martin
Casa Grande--March 6, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Ironwood Elementary School,
Gymnasium, 1500 N. Colorado
Please direct written comments concerning the BMGR Renewal LEIS to:
Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range Renewal LEIS, P.O. Box 1558, Tempe,
Arizona 85280-1558.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please
contact Lt. Marshall Wolfe at (602) 856-6011.
Patsy J. Conner,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-2913 Filed 2-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3910-01-P
