[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61077-61078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24573]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at Fort 
Lewis and Yakima Training Center, Washington

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army is updating the environmental 
strategic planning process for Fort Lewis and the Yakima Training 
Center (YTC), Washington. While this planning process encompasses a 
series of individual land management documents (some for each 
installation and some for both), the fundamental focus of this effort 
will be on the long-term sustainability of both Fort Lewis and the YTC. 
The Army will prepare a comprehensive EIS in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on proposed revisions to the 
strategic planning process; and the Army will use public input to 
ensure that the needs of the installation and the surrounding 
communities are reflected in the final strategic plans. This 
sustainability planning will focus on the development of operational 
procedures that support the Army mission in the present without 
compromising the ability to accomplish the mission in the future and 
without limiting local communities' abilities to have a productive 
future. Deliberate, early planning, adaptability to changing 
conditions, and thorough coordination with regional stakeholders is 
essential to address the magnitude and complexity of the challenges 
inherent in the Army's transformation process. The EIS will evaluate 
the potential impacts of alternative Fort Lewis and the YTC operations, 
and appropriate revisions will be made in the installation strategic 
planning processes.

ADDRESSES: Questions regarding this proposal or written comments should 
be forwarded to: Public Works, AFZH-PWE MS 17 (Mr. Palul T. Steucke, 
Jr.), Box 339500. Fort Lewis, WA 98433-9500.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Van Hoesen, Fort Lewis NEPA 
Coordinator at (253) 966-1780.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of the Army has decided to 
modernize its forces through a process known as Army Transformation. As 
an interim step, the Army will establish a force that will use new 
weapons and employ new doctrines by transforming existing brigades at a 
number of installations. Fort Lewis has been chosen as one of those 
installations, and therefore, proposes to develop and adopt an 
environmental planning process that will ensure that Fort Lewis' land 
and natural resources can be sustained into the foreseeable future. 
Fort Lewis and the YTC are essential to the national security mission 
of the U.S Army Forces Command and the Special Operations Command, 
providing approximately 86,000 acres and 323,000 acres, respectively, 
for training areas and ranges. The combined assets of these two 
installations procedure combat units trained and ready for deployment. 
The Army has begun the transformation process. Emerging security 
challenges of the 21st century require that the Army transform. Among 
these challenges is the need to balance risk by sustaining the Army's 
readiness to meet the Nation's present warfighting requirements, field 
and station interim forces to fill current capability gaps, and design 
and field a force to meet future requirements. Army transformation is a 
continuous process, which is nested as part of the overall DoD 
transformation efforts. As part of these efforts, the Army is designing 
the Objective Force, a force that possesses the characteristic of being 
responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and 
sustainable. A supporting effort in the Army's Transformation Campaign 
is the near-term effort to field and station six Stryker Brigade Combat 
teams (SBCTs), a force that is forming the development of the Objective 
Force. SBCTs are designed as a land component part of a joint team. It 
is designed to enter early in a theater to deter out potential 
adversaries. If that deterrence fails, it is a force that is more 
lethal and survivable than the Army's current light infantry forces, 
and as a member of that deployed joint or coalition force will 
contribute to swiftly defeat that adversary. With transformation, the 
army is developing new vehicles, weapons systems and numerous other 
technologies, which will result in qualitative and quantitative changes 
in the impact on/to the environment. Currently, as the details of this 
new force are framed, much is unknown about future actions and 
resulting environmental impacts. To address such uncertainties, a more 
sustainable approach to environmental management is envisioned, one 
that can adapt to these changes by: (1) Identifying issues early in the 
decision process, (2) providing for a responsive feedback mechanism to 
decision makers and stakeholder, (3) determining the carrying capacity 
of the land, and (4) ensuring continuous community and stakeholder 
involvement. This shift in focus toward sustainability must be 
integrated into all business processes and management systems. This EIS 
will assess and evaluate the environmental consequences of alternative 
management strategies which promote the long-term sustainment of the 
training mission; natural, cultural, and environmental resources; and 
the surrounding community and region.
    The EIS will evaluate a range of reasonable management alternatives 
and their subsequent environmental effects, define the sustainability 
issues that should frame decision making, and provide a clear 
comparison among the management options. While short-range management 
options will likely support existing planning processes or documents, 
these analyses will likely affect long-range sustainability goals, 
objectives, and management systems. The results of these analyses will 
be incorporated into revised management documents and installation 
policies. During the scoping process, the public is asked to define 
significant sustainability issues and a range of alternative approaches 
to deal with those issues and establish long-term installation 
sustainability.
    Potential significant issues, in addition to those defined by the 
public, will include air quality, water quality, cultural resources, 
sensitive species and habitats, soil erosion, and noise.
    Scoping Process: Comments received through this notice will assist 
the Army in framing alternative courses of action at Fort Lewis and the 
YTC, identifying potential impacts on the quality of the human and 
natural environment, and selecting long-range sustainable management of 
these installations. Individuals and organizations are invited to 
participate in scoping meetings to be held in the vicinity of Fort 
Lewis and the Yakima Training Center in the fall of 2002. Notification 
of actual times and locations will be announced in local newspapers and 
other media. These meetings will provide the opportunity for the public 
to participate in the EIS and assist the Army in establishing the scope 
of the study. The following issues have already been identified for 
inclusion in the EIS: (1) Managing, with the goal of maintaining 
healthy species, many that

[[Page 61078]]

vary in life histories, habitat needs, and response to training and 
other land uses; (2) Unknown effects of new equipment and training 
patterns and intensities on environmental resources; (3) Setting 
allowable training levels when only limited biological information is 
available on many resources; (4) Insufficient information on threshold 
levels and the relationship to management measures; (5) The need to 
coordinate management of many species and habitats with the state; (6) 
Regulations that are becoming increasingly complex, costly and 
difficult to understand.
    If individuals or organizations are unable to attend the scheduled 
scoping meetings, they may participate by sending written questions and 
comments to the address above no later than 30 days following the 
public scoping meetings. A mailing list has been prepared for public 
scoping and review throughout the EIS process. This list includes 
local, state, and Federal agencies with jurisdictions or other 
interests in the project. In addition, the mailing list includes all 
adjacent property owners, affected municipalities and other interested 
parties such as conservation organizations. Anyone wishing to be on the 
mailing list can contact the person identified above.

    Dated: September 20, 2002.
Raymond J. Fatz,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health) OASA (I&E).
[FR Doc. 02-24573 Filed 9-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M