[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41009-41010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19613]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Optimizing Current and Future Operations, Training and 
Maintenance at the Beaches of Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado and 
Naval Radio Receiving Facility (NRRF) Imperial Beach and To Announce 
Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the 
environmental effects of current and future operations, training and 
maintenance at the beaches of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, ``NAB'', 
Naval Radio Receiving Facility Imperial Beach, ``NRRF'', and within the 
fenced compound at NRRF.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Public scoping open houses will be held to receive 
oral and/or written comments on environmental concerns that should be 
addressed in the EIS. Public scoping open houses will be held from 7:00 
to 8:30 p.m. the following dates and locations: Tuesday, August 28, 
2001 at the Coronado Public Library (Winn Room), 640 Orange Avenue, 
Coronado, CA; Wednesday, August 29, 2001 at Bayside Elementary School, 
490 Emory Street, Imperial Beach, CA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jenny Boyd, South Bay Area Focus 
Team, Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 2585 
Callagan Highway, Building 99, San Diego, CA 92136-5198, telephone 
(619) 556-8589.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 (Navy) announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental 
effects of current and future operations, training and maintenance at 
the beaches of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, ``NAB'', Naval Radio 
Receiving Facility Imperial Beach, ``NRRF'', and within the fenced 
compound at NRRF.
    NAB Coronado is the only Navy amphibious base on the West Coast. It 
includes 5,500 yards of Pacific Ocean and bayside beachfront that is 
used for training. This area, along with 2,000 yards of Pacific Ocean 
beachfront at NRRF, provide operators with 7,500 yards of expansive 
beaches, unique topography, and on-base facilities that encompass a 
critical area for amphibious and clandestine training in support of 
littoral, unconventional, and special warfare operations.
    The proposed action is to allocate operations and training between 
NAB and NRRF in a manner that optimizes use of those facilities while 
protecting threatened and endangered species. Operationally realistic 
training at NAB and NRRF is critical to military mission readiness 
requirements. However, due to the Navy's on-going, successful resource 
management program, threatened and endangered biological resources are 
thriving on the beaches at NAB Coronado. This poses a problem for 
scheduling required training because the increase in least tern and 
snowy plover populations is decreasing the size of beachfront available 
for crucial training and the time during which it is available.
    NAB has reviewed its current and future operations, training and 
maintenance requirements as well as the training needs of tenant 
commands and other commands in Southern California that use the 
training facilities at NAB. The EIS will address three alternatives 
(including the No Action Alternative) for optimizing training at NAB 
and NRRF based on that internal review.
    The No Action Alternative would continue current levels of 
operations at NAB and NRRF and utilize natural resource management 
strategies identified in NAB's natural resource management plan. While 
most operations and training currently are conducted at NAB, a limited 
number of amphibious training operations are conducted at NRRF. 
Specific operations are delineated for each location. Current 
operations delineated for NAB include Warfare Training (amphibious 
assaults and combat training, clandestine shore assaults, mine 
countermeasures,

[[Page 41010]]

navigation/surf handling training, SCUBA training, ship surveillance) 
and Strategic Sealift Training (Elevated Causeway System Training) on 
the Pacific Ocean beachfront. Current bayside operations also include 
Warfare Training (amphibious assaults and clandestine shore assaults) 
and Strategic Sealift Training (ELCAS, amphibious assault bulk fuel/
water systems). NAB also supports several training area users that have 
unique training requirements. One of the larger users is the Marine 
Corp's Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific. Their primary 
mission is to conduct warfare training courses for expeditionary and 
amphibious operations with emphasis on landing force operations using 
amphibious platforms. Current operations delineated for NRRF include 
inflatable landing craft, practice assault beaching and underwater 
navigation techniques. Current resource management strategies will 
continue with the habitat maintenance practice of predator control, 
decoy placement, beach maintenance, and coning off Western snowy plover 
nests on the beaches at NAB. It will also continue using the formal 
scheduling process for training operations.
    Alternative One proposes a more integrated use of NAB and NRRF for 
current operations as well as the addition of new types of operations 
at NAB and NRRF. Under Alternative One, all 7,500 yards of beach area 
at NAB and NRRF would be available to support current operations. This 
alternative recognizes the dynamic that exists between operational uses 
and protection of natural resources. As the most significant natural 
resource issues at NAB involve nesting and foraging, location and 
timing of operations are critical considerations. Training operations 
often conflict with nesting season of growing least tern and snowy 
plover populations. Alternative One would provide operators with the 
option of training at NAB or NRRF during nesting season and would 
address the complete range of impacts of training at both NAB and NRRF.
    Rather than a rigid matrix that pairs specific operations with a 
specific location, Alternative One proposes that decisions on the 
location of operations be based upon the ability of the location to 
handle a given type and level of operations at a given time of year. 
This would allow greater flexibility for year round use of NAB and 
NRRF. The following operations are included under Alternative One: 
Warfare Training, Strategic Sealift Training, and landing force 
operations currently conducted at NAB; inflatable landing craft, 
practice assault beaching, and underwater navigation techniques 
currently conducted at NRRF; and new operations consisting of mine 
disabling training in San Diego Bay along the NAB shoreline; new 
operations consisting of ordnance disposal training and land 
reconnaissance exercises on the beach and within the fenced compound at 
NRRF.
    In addition to the current habitat maintenance practice of predator 
control, decoy placement, beach maintenance, coning off Western snowy 
plover nests and using a formal scheduling procedure, Alternative One 
proposes to incorporate coning off California least tern nests and 
clearly delineating beach-crossing lanes.
    Alternative Two proposes to relocate the majority of current 
Warfare Training, Strategic Sealift Training, and landing force 
operations from NAB to NRRF during nesting season. Current operations 
involving inflatable landing craft, practice assault beaching, and 
underwater navigation techniques would continue at NRRF. Alternative 
Two also includes: the addition of mine disabling training in San Diego 
Bay along the NAB shoreline, new ordnance disposal training, and land 
reconnaissance exercises on the beach and within the fenced compound at 
NRRF. Alternative Two also proposes the additional habitat maintenance 
practices of coning off California least tern nests and clearly 
delineating beach-crossing lanes, as proposed in Alternative One at 
NAB.
    In addition to analyzing impacts on the full range of natural, 
biological, and cultural resources, the EIS will examine aesthetic and 
socioeconomic issues, management practices for California least tern 
and Western snowy plover nesting habitat avoidance, and management 
practices for the salt marsh bird's beak.
    To facilitate preparation of its EIS, the Navy has initiated this 
scoping process. The purpose of the scoping process is to identify 
community concerns and local issues that should be addressed. Federal, 
state, and local agencies, elected officials, non-governmental 
organizations, and interested persons are encouraged to attend 
scheduled scoping meetings and provide comments on the scope of issues 
to be addressed in the EIS. Scoping comments that clearly describe 
specific issues or topics are particularly helpful.
    All comments not received at the scheduled public meetings must be 
in writing and must be postmarked by September 14, 2001. Comments 
should be mailed or faxed to: Southwest Division, Naval Facilities 
Engineering Command, Attn: Ms. Jenny Boyd, South Bay Area Focus Team, 
2585 Callagan Highway, Building 99, San Diego, CA 92136-5198, fax (619) 
556-8929.

    Dated: July 30, 2001.
T.J. Welsh,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-19613 Filed 8-3-01; 8:45 am]
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