[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 29120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11800]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Proposed Establishment and Expansion of Military
Airspace in Support of the Oregon Air National Guard (ORANG), Portland
International Airport, Portland, and Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, OR
AGENCY: Department of the Air Force; DOD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and
procedures (32 CFR part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to
advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the proposed establishment and expansion of Special
Use Airspace over portions of Oregon and a small area over northwestern
Nevada and southwestern Washington. The proposal would provide
adequately sized and configured airspace within close proximity to
ORANG flying units to support advanced 21st-century air-to-air tactical
fighter technologies and current and evolving training mission
requirements and ensure efficient and realistic mission-oriented
training. The training would take place Monday through Friday and
during one weekend per month.
In support of the ORANG's 142d and 173d Fighter Wings, the Air
Force and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) are proposing (Alternative A)
to expand, modify, and establish air-to-air training airspace areas in
four locations around the state: (1) Proposed expansion of Warning Area
570 (W-570) to the west over the Pacific Ocean; (2) proposed
establishment of the Eel Military Operations Area (MOA) directly
underneath the existing Eel Air Traffic Control Assigned Area which is
aligned north/south along the Oregon coast from approximately Astoria
to Lincoln City and adjacent to W-570; (3) proposed establishment of
the Redhawk MOA in north central Oregon roughly bounded by Highway 97/
197 on the west, the towns of Wasco and Lexington on the north, US
Highway 395 on the east, and US Highway 26 on the south; and (4)
proposed expansion of the existing Juniper/Hart MOA Complex to the east
approximately 20 miles which would extend from approximately Burns to
Frenchglen in Oregon and to Big Mountain in northwestern Nevada. Four
alternatives and the No-Action Alternative will be analyzed.
Alternative B includes the majority of airspace changes proposed for
Alternative A; however, the Eel MOA would not be established.
Alternative C includes the airspace changes proposed under Alternative
A but the Redhawk MOA would not be established. Alternative D includes
the airspace changes under Alternative A but would not include the
eastward expansion of Juniper/Hart MOA Complex. Reasonable
alternatives, which satisfy the underlying purpose and need for the
proposed action, that are identified during the scoping process will
also be assessed.
Information: NGB will conduct public scoping meetings to solicit
input concerning the proposal. The scoping process assists in
determining the scope of issues to be addressed and to help identify
significant environmental issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS.
Comments will be accepted at any time during the environmental impact
analysis process; however, to ensure that NGB has sufficient time to
consider public feedback in the preparation of the Draft EIS, scoping
comments should be submitted to the address below no later than 60 days
from the date of this notice.
Scoping meetings will be held in the following Oregon communities:
Tillamook (June 17), Astoria (June 18), Condon (June 19), Burns (June
20), and Prineville (June 21). Specific meeting times and locations
will be provided in notices that will appear in The Oregonian and
regional media outlets. Additional information will be made available
at www.142fw.ang.af.mil and www.173fw.ang.af.mil.
ADDRESSES: Robert Dogan, National Guard Bureau/A7AM, 3501 Fetchet
Avenue, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762-5157. Email:
[email protected].
Henry Williams Jr.,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-11800 Filed 5-16-13; 8:45 am]
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