[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49791-49792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20661]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Jinapsan Beach Properties Access, Guam

    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 1500 to 1508), and Air Force policy and procedures (32 CFR 
989), the U.S. Air Force intends to prepare an EIS to consider the 
potential environmental impacts of providing an easement for access to 
the Jinapsan Beach Properties on the island of Guam. The U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service

[[Page 49792]]

(Service) has been invited to serve as a cooperating agency for this 
action.
    The Air Force proposes to analyze a Proposed Action easement, an 
alternative easement route, and the No-Action Alternative as required 
by NEPA. The Proposed Action involves the granting of a 30-foot wide 
easement for the construction of a 24-foot wide access road with 3-foot 
shoulders (incorporating a 3-foot utility corridor) to the Jinapsan 
Beach property. The Proposed Action easement route crosses a portion of 
Northwest Field on Andersen Air Force Base (AFB). The easement passes 
north of the training exercise areas and runways before reaching the 
cliff face south of Pajon Point. The easement then proceeds down the 
cliff face between Pajon Point and Jinapsan Point to the south with a 
maximum grade of approximately 12 percent before reaching the Jinapsan 
properties at the foot of the cliff.
    The alternative action easement also involves the granting of a 30-
foot wide easement for the construction of a 24-foot wide access road 
with 3-foot shoulders (incorporating a 3-foot utility corridor) to the 
Jinapsan Beach property. This alternative accesses the Jinapsan Beach 
properties by using the existing road to the Guam National Wildlife 
Refuge Ritidian Point Unit. The easement would leave the existing road 
near the bottom of the cliff area at a point approximately 400 meters 
inside the main gate to the Refuge. From that point the easement would 
continue around Ritidian Point and then southeast along the coast past 
Pajon Point to the Jinapsan properties.
    Under the No Action alternative, access would continue to be via 
the Main Gate at Andersen AFB with a route that passes near operational 
areas and through Tarague Beach to reach the Jinapsan Beach properties.
    To provide a forum for public officials and for the community to 
provide information and comments on the project, the Air Force and the 
Service are holding two public scoping meetings on Wednesday, August 
30, 2000. Both meetings will be held in the Building B Lecture Hall in 
the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Guam. The first 
meeting will be from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and the second will be from 6:00 
to 8:00 p.m.
    The purpose of these meetings is to present information concerning 
the proposed action and alternatives under consideration and solicit 
public input on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. The Air 
Force and Service will accept comments at the address below at any time 
during the environmental impact analysis process. However, to ensure 
the Air Force and the Service have sufficient time to consider public 
input in the preparation of the Draft EIS, comments should be submitted 
to the address below by October 13, 2000.
    Please direct written comments or requests for further information 
concerning the Jinapsan Beach Properties Access EIS to Mr. Jonathan D. 
Farthing, HQ AFCEE/ECA, 3207 North Road, Brooks AFB, TX 78235-5363, 
(210) 536-3668.

Janet A. Long
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-20661 Filed 8-14-00; 8:45 am]
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