[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59829-59830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25655]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Establishment of New and/or Modification of Existing Military 
Operations Areas Near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the 
Department of the Navy announces its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental 
consequences of the establishment of new and/or modification of 
existing Military Operations Areas (MOAs) near Marine Corps Air Station 
(MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. The Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) will serve as a cooperating agency on this EIS.

DATES: All written scoping comments should be postmarked by November 
20, 2000. Public scoping open houses will be held to receive oral and/
or written comments on environmental concerns that should be addressed 
in the EIS on October 23, 2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, in the Cape 
Hatteras High School, Highway 12, Buxton, North Carolina; October 24, 
2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, in the Northside High School, 7860 Free 
Union Church Road, Pinetown, North Carolina; October 25, 2000, from 
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, in the East Carteret High School, 3263 Highway 70, 
Beaufort, North Carolina; and October 26, 2000, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 
pm, in the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, 203 South Front 
Street, New Bern, North Carolina.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, statements and/or questions regarding 
scoping issues should be addressed to: Atlantic Division, Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command, (Code BD33KK), 1510 Gilbert Street, 
Norfolk, Virginia, 23511.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kelly Knight, telephone (757) 322-
4886, fax (757) 322-4894.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Establishment of new and/or modification of 
existing MOAs is required to provide military aviators with more 
realistic training opportunities. The purpose of this action is to 
eliminate required administrative airspeed reductions so that aircraft 
can maintain tactical flight profiles, and create additional SUA in 
order to optimize existing aviation training. Military aviators using 
existing SUA in the MCAS Cherry Point area are required to reduce 
airspeed to 250 knots or less prior to entering non-SUA below 10,000 
feet mean sea level (MSL) and when transiting from one non-contiguous 
SUA to another. This airspeed reduction requires aircrews to initiate 
speed reduction prior to departing existing SUA, thereby terminating 
their tactical profile. This greatly diminishes training value due to 
decreased realism in tactical flight profiles and restricted tactical 
approach options, which require the repetition of non-tactical 
maneuvers during training. Second, expansion of SUA over land is 
desired to accommodate critical aircrew training requirements that do 
not require the use of restricted airspace such as air combat 
maneuvers, formation flight, air intercepts, staging and packaging of 
multiple aircraft strikes, and a larger acquisition area for simulated 
weapon systems delivery. These objectives cannot be met through non-SUA 
actions due to the space requirements to accommodate such operations 
and restrictive procedures inherent in Airspace for Special Use 
development and utilization.
    Seven MOA alternatives have been identified so far, four individual 
MOA alternatives and three combination MOA alternatives, for 
consideration in the EIS. The individual MOA alternatives include: (1) 
Establishment of the Core MOA at a proposed location east of MCAS 
Cherry Point and extending from Cape Lookout north to Portsmouth Island 
and overlying the Cape Lookout National Seashore; (2) establishment of 
the Mattamuskeet MOA at a proposed location located northeast of MCAS 
Cherry Point and overlying portions of Pamlico, Beaufort, Hyde, 
Tyrrell, and Washington counties and the Lake Mattamuskeet and 
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges; (3) establishment of the Cherry 
MOA at a proposed location northwest of MCAS Cherry Point and overlying 
portions of Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort and Hyde counties; and (4) 
modification of the Pamlico B MOA located northeast of MCAS Cherry 
Point and overlying the Pamlico Sound and portions of Carteret, Hyde 
and Dare counties. Unlike the first three proposed MOAs, Pamlico B is 
an existing MOA the use of which would be modified by lowering its base 
altitude from 8,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) to 3,000 feet MSL. All 
other existing dimensions would remain unchanged. The proposed floor 
for any MOA alternative under consideration is 3,000 feet above ground 
level. In addition to these four individual MOA alternatives, three 
combination MOA alternatives have been identified. They include: (1) 
Core and Mattamuskeet MOAs, (2) Core and Cherry MOAs, and (3) Core and 
Pamlico B MOAs. The No Action Alternative, which would neither 
establish new nor modify existing MOAS, will also be analyzed in this 
EIS.
    Environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS include, but are 
not limited to, the effects on wildlife and threatened and endangered 
species, public lands and waters, civilian aviation, public health and 
safety, recreation, and community noise.
    The Marine Corps will initiate a scoping process for the purpose of 
determining the extent of issues to be addressed, and identifying 
significant issues related to this action. Public scoping meetings will 
be held as noted in the Dates section of this notice. These meetings 
will be advertised in area newspapers.
    Marine Corps representatives will be available at these meetings to 
receive comments from the public regarding issues of concern to the 
public. Federal, state and local agencies, and interested individuals 
are encouraged to take this opportunity to identify environmental 
concerns that should be addressed during the preparation of the EIS. 
Agencies and the public are also invited and encouraged to provide 
written comment on scoping issues in addition to, or in lieu of, oral 
comments at the public meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific issues or topics that the commentor 
believes the EIS should address. Written statements and/or questions 
regarding the scoping process should be mailed by November 20, 2000 to: 
Commander, Atlantic Division (Attn: Code BD33KK), Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, 1510 Gilbert Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23511.


[[Page 59830]]


    Dated: September 25, 2000.
Elsie L. Munsell,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, (Environment and Safety).
[FR Doc. 00-25655 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P