[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 244 (Monday, December 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 70416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33657]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NV-030-1610-00]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
the Fallon Range Training Complex Requirements Document for the U.S. 
Navy Fallon Range Training Complex, Fallon, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Carson City Field Office U.S. Naval 
Air Station Fallon, Nevada.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) on the U.S. Navy Fallon Range Training Complex Requirements 
Document; and notice of scoping period and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City Field Office 
and the U.S. Navy Fallon Range Training Complex (Navy) will jointly 
direct the preparation of an EIS to be produced by a third-party 
contractor on the impacts (direct, indirect, and cumulative) from 
required Navy training on public and Navy-owned lands in central 
Nevada. The BLM and the Navy invite comments on the scope of the 
analysis.

EFFECTIVE DATES: Four public scoping meetings will be held in January, 
1999 to allow the public an opportunity to identify issues and concerns 
to be addressed in the EIS. Representatives of the BLM and the Navy 
will be available to answer questions about the Fallon Range Training 
Complex Requirements Document and the EIS process. Comments will be 
accepted until February 5, 1999.
    The scheduled public meetings are:

Eureka, NV (7:00-9:00 p.m.)--January 20, 1999, Eureka Opera House
Austin, NV (7:00-9:00 p.m.)--January 21, 1999, Austin High School
Fallon, NV (7:00-9:00 p.m.)--January 27, 1999, Fallon Convention 
Center, 100 Campus Way, Fallon, NV
Reno, NV (7:00-9:00 p.m.)--January 28, 1999, BLM Nevada State Office, 
1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV

    A Draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be completed by April, 1999 and 
made available for public review and comment. At that time a Notice of 
Availablity (NOA) of the DEIS will be published in the Federal 
Register. The comment period on the DEIS will be 60 days from the date 
the NOA is published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scoping comments may be sent to: Field 
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, 
NV 89701. ATTN: Navy EIS Project Manager.
    For additional information, write to the above address or call 
Terri Knutson (BLM) at (702) 885-6156 or Sam Dennis (Navy) at (650) 
244-3007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Navy has submitted the Fallon Range 
Training Complex Requirements Document for the update, consolidation, 
and analysis of all Navy training requirements on public and Navy-owned 
lands in central Nevada. The Navy requirements document includes: 
Electronic Warfare, Airspace, Target Complex (Bravo-17, Bravo-19, 
Bravo-20), Tracking/Communications, and Land Training.
    The EIS will address issues brought forth through scoping comments 
and will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of specialists. A 
range of alternatives and mitigating measures will be considered to 
evaluate and minimize environmental impacts and to assure that the 
proposed action does not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of 
public lands.
    Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or 
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the BLM/Navy 
decision on the Fallon Range Training Complex Requirements Document are 
invited to participate in the scoping process with respect to this 
environmental analysis. These entities and individuals are also invited 
to submit comments on the DEIS.
    It is important that those interested in the Navy activities 
participate in the scoping and commenting processes. To be most 
helpful, comments should be as specific as possible.
    The project schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment Period--December, 1999
Issue Draft EIS--April, 1999
Issue Final EIS--July, 1999
Issue Record of Decision--September, 1999
End 30-day Appeal Period/Implementation--October, 1999

    The BLM/Navy's scoping process for the EIS will include: (1) 
Identification of issues to be addressed; (2) Identification of viable 
alternatives; (3) Notification of interested groups, individuals, and 
agencies so that additional information concerning these issues, or 
other issues, can be obtained.

    Dated: December 10, 1998.
Karl Kipping,
Associate Manager, Carson City Field Office.
[FR Doc. 98-33657 Filed 12-18-98; 8:45 am]
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