[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 215 (Friday, November 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59950-59951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29747]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Legislative Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Withdrawal Renewal of Fort Wainwright Yukon Training Area and Fort 
Greely West Training Area and Fort Greely East Training Area, Alaska

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the Draft legislative 
Environmental Impact Statement (DLEIS) for the renewed withdrawal of 
Fort Wainwright Yukon Training Area (formerly known as the Fort 
Wainwright Maneuver Area) and Fort Greely West Training Area (formerly 
known as the Fort Greely Maneuver Area) and Fort Greely East Training 
Area (formerly known as the Fort Greely Air Drop Zone) from public use 
for military purposes. The lands are located near Fairbanks, Alaska.
    The Military Lands Withdrawal Act (Pub. L. 99-606, enacted by 
Congress on November 6, 1986) identified Fort Wainwright Maneuver Area 
(now known as Fort Wainwright Yukon Training Area) and Fort Greely 
Maneuver Area (now known as the Fort Greely West Training Area) and 
Fort

[[Page 59951]]

Greely Air Drop Zone (now known as Fort Greely East Training Area) as 
lands withdrawn from public use until November 6, 2001. If the Army 
intends to continue use beyond this time, the Act requires the Army to 
publish a Draft Environmental Impact Statement by November 6, 1998.

DATES: Comments should be received no later than February 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the DLEIS, contact Mr. Doug Johnson, 
Directorate of Public Works, ATTN: APVR-RPW-EV, 730 Quartermaster Road, 
Fort Richardson, AK 99505-6500.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Doug Johnson at (907) 384-3090, 
fax: (907) 384-3047 or Ms. Cindy Herdrich, Center for Ecological 
Management of Military Lands (CEMML), Colorado State University, 
Vocational Education Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523; telephone: (970) 
491-2728, fax: (970) 491-2713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fort Wainwright Yukon Training Area 
comprises approximately 246,277 acres near Fairbanks, Alaska. The Fort 
Greely West and East Training Areas comprise approximately 623,585 
acres near Delta Junction, Alaska. These areas were withdrawn from 
public use from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for military 
purposes with the enactment of the Military Lands Withdrawal Act on 
November 6, 1986. The Act specifies these lands are reserved for use by 
the Secretary of the Army for military maneuvering, training, artillery 
firing, aerial gunnery, infantry tactics, equipment development and 
testing, as well as other defense related purposes. The withdrawal 
renewal lands are used to train in an extremely cold environment, and 
to test the effect of this environment on military equipment. The Fort 
Wainwright Yukon Training Area and Fort Greely West and East Training 
Areas are used by the Army and Air Force. The Army and BLM jointly 
manage the natural resources on the withdrawal renewal lands 
recognizing their primary military role.
    The Department of the Army has determined there is a continuing 
military requirement for the use of these withdrawal lands to train and 
maintain military units at the required state of readiness. The 
preferred alternative proposes to renew the existing military 
withdrawals for 50 years until November 6, 2051. The proposed 50-year 
withdrawal period is approximately the same length of time the military 
will have used these lands when the existing withdrawals expire in 
2001.
    Under the no action alternative considered in the DLEIS, Congress 
would not grant the requested withdrawal renewals. The lands would no 
longer be available for military use after November 5, 2001.
    The Army conducted scoping on the DLEIS to inform the public of the 
proposed action, identify significant issues, and develop alternatives 
related to the proposed withdrawal renewal. Federal, State, local 
agencies, and the public were invited to participate in the scoping 
process. Public scoping meetings were held in Delta Junction, 
Fairbanks, and Anchorage in June and December 1997.
    Significant issues identified during the scoping process and 
included in the impact analysis of the DLEIS are public access, air 
quality, military contamination of soils and surface water, noise, 
ownership of submerged lands, and wildlife and their habitat.
    Public meetings are tentatively scheduled for January 1999 in Delta 
Junction, Fairbanks, and Anchorage to receive comments on the DLEIS. 
Notification of specific times and locations for the public meetings 
will be published in local newspapers. Written comments on the DLEIS 
will be accepted from publication of the Notice of Availability through 
30 days following the public meetings. All comments will be addressed 
in the Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement. All interested 
individuals, organizations, and governmental agencies are encouraged to 
comment on the DLEIS.
    Written comments may be forwarded to Ms. Cindy Herdrich at the 
above address or at http://www.cemml.colostate.edu/alaskaeis.

    Dated: November 2, 1998.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environmental, Safety, and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I,L&E).
[FR Doc. 98-29747 Filed 11-5-98; 8:45 am]
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