97-8193. Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for; the Implementation of a Comprehensive Land Use Management Plan at the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 15471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8193]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for; the Implementation of a Comprehensive Land Use Management Plan at 
the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA

SUMMARY: Per Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508) the Department of the Navy 
announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
to evaluate the potential environmental effects of implementing a 
comprehensive Land Use Management Plan for the Naval Air Warfare Center 
Weapons Division (NAWCWD), located at the Naval Air Weapons Station 
(NAWS), China Lake, California. The Navy is the lead agency in the 
preparation of the EIS. It is anticipated that other Department of 
Defense installations, and Department of the Interior agencies such as 
the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
will act as cooperating agencies.
    The California Desert Protection Act (the Act) of 1994, 
reauthorized the Navy's continued use of public withdrawn lands to 
support China Lake's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) 
and training mission. The Act requires the development of a land use 
management plan for these withdrawn lands, in accordance with the 
requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, by October 
1997. Additionally, in response to military downsizing initiatives and 
potential influences of evolving technologies on weapons systems RDT&E 
and training requirements, the Navy recognizes the need to implement a 
comprehensive management system that integrates operational and 
environmental planning processes.
    The Navy's proposed action is the implementation of a comprehensive 
Land Use Management Plan (LUMP) at NAWS China Lake for managing 
existing and proposed land uses authorized under the California Desert 
Protection Act. Proposed land uses include, but are not limited to, 
ongoing and future military operations, public health and safety 
practices, and ongoing and future environmental resources management 
and conservation at NAWS China Lake. The LUMP will be developed in 
conformance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA, 
1976).
    The EIS will also evaluate a range of land use management 
practices, including the ``no action'' alternative. Alternative land 
use management practices could include a range of activities of greater 
or lessor intensity of land use type or tempo. The ``no action'' 
alternative would implement a Land Use Management Plan that would not 
change the ongoing type or tempo of land uses and environmental 
resources management direction or emphasis currently in place at China 
Lake.
    The EIS will evaluate the potential immediate and cumulative 
effects of implementing a comprehensive Land Use Management Plan on the 
physical, natural, and human environments of the affected geographic 
area. Major environmental issues that will be addressed in the EIS 
include, but are not limited to: geology/soils; biology; water 
resources/hydrology, noise, air quality (visibility & conformity), land 
use, non-military land use and access, cultural resources, socio-
economics, transportation, public health and safety, and hazardous 
materials.
    The Navy will initiate a scoping process for the purpose of 
determining the extent of issues to be addressed and identifying the 
significant issues related to the China Lake EIS. Scoping meetings will 
be held in the towns of Trona, Inyokern, Independence, Barstow, 
Johannesburg, and Ridgecrest. Meeting sites and times will be published 
in the Federal Register, and in local and regional newspapers. During 
the scoping meetings, presentation of information on the proposed 
action will precede the request for public comment. Navy 
representatives will accept comments from members of the public at the 
meeting. It is important that Federal, state, and local agencies, and 
interested individuals take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed in the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Agencies and the public are invited and encouraged to 
provide written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments 
at the public scoping meetings. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific issues or topic which the EIS should 
address. Written comments must be postmarked by June 30, 1997 and 
should be mailed to Commander, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, 
Attn: Ms. Robin Hoffman, Land Use Planning Office, China Lake, CA 
93555, telephone [phone], fax [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Hoffman at [phone].

    Dated: March 27, 1997.
M.A. Waters,
LCDR, JAG, USN, Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 97-8193 Filed 3-31-97; 8:45 am]
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