[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7747-7748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2309]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Public Hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Renewal of Authorization to Use Pinecastle Range, Ocala National 
Forest, FL

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Announcement of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) in cooperation with the 
United States Forest Service (USFS) has prepared and filed with the 
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the renewal of USFS 
authorization to allow the Navy continued use of the Pinecastle Bombing 
Range located in the Ocala National Forest, FL. The Navy and USFS will 
conduct three public hearings to receive oral and written comments on 
the DEIS. Federal, state, and local agencies and interested individuals 
are invited to be present or represented at the hearings.

DATES: Hearing dates are:
    1. January 29, 2001, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Ocala, FL.
    2. January 30, 2001, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Eustis, FL.
    3. February 12, 2001, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Umatilla, FL.

ADDRESSES: The hearing locations are:
    1. Ocala--Ocala Civic Auditorium, 836 Northeast Sanchez, Ocala, FL.
    2. Eustis--Eustis National Guard Armory, 605 South Bay Street, 
Eustis, FL (located on State Road 19).
    3. Umatilla Community Center, 1 South Central Avenue Umatilla, FL.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Darrell Molzan, Southern Division 
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, telephone (843) 820-5796, 
facsimile (843) 820-7472, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), 
the Navy in cooperation with the USFS has prepared and filed with the 
EPA a DEIS for the renewal of USFS authorization to allow the Navy 
continued use of the Pinecastle Bombing Range located in the Ocala 
National Forest, FL. A Notice of Intent for this DEIS was published in 
the Federal Register on April 1, 1997 (62 FR 15470). Two public scoping 
meetings were held in Umatilla, FL, on April 17, 1997, and in Ocala, 
FL, on April 29, 1997.
    The DEIS is written to provide Navy and USFS decision-makers 
information of the potential impacts associated with the renewal of the 
Navy's authorization to continue using the range. The Navy is not 
proposing to select a new range or expand the current range under this 
action.
    The Navy previously conducted a preliminary analysis of 
alternatives, including the plausibility of moving training operations 
to other military ranges in the southeast United States. These 
alternatives did not meet the Navy's operational criteria, thus were 
eliminated from detailed analysis in the DEIS. The preferred 
alternative presented in the DEIS would renew the Navy's authorization 
to use the range. There are no significant environmental impacts 
associated with either the preferred or no-action alternatives.
    The DEIS has been distributed to various Federal, state, and local 
agencies, elected officials, and special interest groups, and is 
available for public review at the following public libraries:
    --Umatilla Public Library, 412 Hatfield Drive, Umatilla, FL.

[[Page 7748]]

    --Marion County Public Library, 15 Southeast Osceola Avenue, Ocala, 
FL.
    The DEIS is also available to the public at two addresses on the 
worldwide web at www.nasjax.navy.mil or www.efdsouth.navfac.navy.mil. A 
limited number of printed copies are available to the public by 
contacting the project coordinator, Mr. Darrell Molzan by telephone 
(843) 820-5796, facsimile (843) 820-7472, or e-mail: 
[email protected].
    The Navy will conduct three public hearings to receive oral and 
written comments concerning the DEIS. Each public hearing will be split 
into three segments. The first segment will be an Open-House from from 
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., where attendees can circulate among poster 
stations that will highlight the main points of the DEIS, talk to Navy 
and USFS personnel about the document, and submit written comments. The 
second segment, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., will provide a public 
hearing format where individuals can provide comments orally. The third 
segment will be a continuation of the Open-House format from 8:00 p.m. 
to 9:00 p.m. Those who intend to speak will be asked to submit a 
speaker card available at the registration tables located at the 
entrance to each of the hearings. Oral comments will be transcribed by 
a stenographer. In the interest of available time, each speaker will be 
asked to limit oral comments to three minutes. Longer comments should 
be summarized at the public hearings and submitted in writing either at 
the hearings or mailed to Commander, Southern Division Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command (Attn: Mr. Darrell Molzan, Code 064DM), P.O. Box 
190010, North Charleston, SC 29419-9010. Written comments are requested 
not later than February 20, 2001.

    Dated: January 22, 2001.
J. L. Roth,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-2309 Filed 1-24-01; 8:45 am]
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