[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9756-9757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5270]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Final Site
Selection and Authorization for Implementation of Multi-Purpose Range
Complex-Heavy, Camp Shelby, MS; De Soto National Forest, Forrest and
Perry Counties, MS
AGENCY: Department of the Army, National Guard Bureau; U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The National Guard Bureau, as co-lead agency with the USDA,
Forest Service, will cooperatively participate in the preparation of a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Military Training Use of
National Forest Lands, Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The SEIS will identify
sites evaluated by both agencies for consideration in selection of a
final site for the Multi-Purpose Range Complex-Heavy (MPRC-H) location
and disclose new information relevant to environmental concerns having
a bearing on the proposed action.
Description of Proposed Action
The National Guard Bureau proposes to construct, operate, and
maintain a MPRC-H facility within the Operations Area at Camp Shelby.
The project area includes National Forest System lands on the De Soto
National Forest that are currently utilized for military training
activities under terms and conditions of a special use permit issued by
the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
The MPRCH-H is a standard Army gunnery range which has three
maneuver avenues. Only ``practice'' ammunition will be fired within the
target array. The proposed project would consist of the range operation
and control area, the downrange area, and the vehicle holding and
maintenance area.
Preliminary Alternatives
Two sites were initially studied in the original special uses EIS.
Since that time, numerous alternative sites have been examined by both
agencies. Three alternative sites, plus the no action alternative, have
been identified for further analysis in this supplement. The surface
danger zones all remain within the current buffer zone of the dedicated
impact area.
No Action Alternative: The No Action alternative provides a basis
for describing the proposed action and other alternatives.
Range 41: This site overlays an existing tank gunnery range (Range
41) in the northern third of the impact area.
FS3: This site is located northeast of the Range 41 site and has a
southeasterly orientation directed towards the northeast corner of the
dedicated impact area.
FS4; This site is located north of the Range 41 site and has a
southeasterly orientation directed towards the northwest corner of the
dedicated impact area.
Supplemental EIS Availability
The draft supplement to the spring of 1997. The responsible
officials will consider the comments, responses, environmental
consequences discussed in the final supplement in making a decision
regarding this proposal. Each responsible official will document their
decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of Decision (ROD).
The Forest Service Record of Decisions will be issued along with the
final supplement and will be subject to administrative review (appeal)
under 36 CFR 215. The Record of Decision will address the final site
selection and authorization for construction and operation of an MPRC-H
on Camp Shelby Training Site under a Special Use Permit for occupation
and use of National Forest administered lands. A scoping meeting will
be scheduled during March 1997 with a draft supplement to follow.
Comments and suggestions can be forwarded to the following individuals:
(1) Lieutenant Colonel Parker Hills, Public Affairs Office, Mississippi
Army National Guard, P.O. Box 5027, Jackson,
[[Page 9757]]
Mississippi 39296-5027, telephone (601) 973-6349, facsimile extension
6176; (2) Mr. Jeff Long, Forest Environmental Coordinator, U.S. Forest
Service, National Forests in Mississippi, 100 West Capitol Street,
Suite 1141, Jackson, Mississippi 39269, telephone (601) 965-5525,
facsimile extension 5519; or (3) Major John Phillippe, National Guard
Bureau ILE-E, 111 South George Mason Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22204,
telephone (703) 607-7968.
Dated: February 26, 1997.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health) OASA (I, L&E).
[FR Doc. 97-5270 Filed 3-3-97; 8:45 am]
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