[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8745-8746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4411]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Navy Air-To-Ground Training at Avon Park Air Force Range and To 
Announce Public Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Navy (Navy) announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential 
environmental consequences of utilizing Avon Park Air Force Range 
(APAFR) as a location for high explosive air-to-ground ordnance 
training for East Coast Carrier-based strike/fighter aviation 
squadrons. Squadrons would use APAFR in combination with other 
available air-to-ground range assets to meet the operational 
requirements of its structured aircrew-training program called the 
Inter-Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC). IDTC air-to-ground training 
will encompass operations associated with Navy intermediate and 
advanced level training exercises and combat certification. The EIS 
will focus on air-to-ground training alternatives within APAFR. These 
alternatives will encompass varying mixtures of ordnance types among 
three different ranges within APAFR.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: Three public scoping meetings will be held in Avon 
Park, Florida; Sebring, Florida; and in Frostproof, Florida to receive 
oral and written comments on environmental concerns that should be 
addressed in the EIS. Public scoping open houses will be held at the 
following dates, times, and locations:

--Tuesday, March 18, 2003, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Frostproof High 
School Cafeteria, Frostproof, FL.
--Wednesday, March 19, 2003, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sebring Civic 
Center, Sebring, FL.
--March 20, 2003, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., The City of Avon Park 
Community Center, Avon Park, FL.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Will Sloger, Southern Div., Naval 
Facilities Engineering Command, PO Box 190010, North Charleston, SC 
29419-9010; telephone (843) 820-5797; facsimile (843) 820-7472.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet prepares 
Carrier Battlegroups (CVBGs) for deployment using a training process 
known as the ``Inter-deployment Training Cycle (IDTC).'' The IDTC 
prepares Navy personnel to function as a part of a coordinated fleet or 
joint fighting force with the capacity to accomplish multiple missions 
in a hostile environment. The IDTC is highly structured and features a 
three-phased building-block approach including basic, intermediate, and 
advanced phases. Mission activities conducted during the IDTC include 
integrated strike, close air support, combat search-and-rescue, unit 
level bombing, helicopter unit level terrain flight, and helicopter 
unit level air-to-ground training.
    The Navy must deploy combat ready forces and considers training 
with live ordnance to be indispensable to achieving and maintaining 
combat readiness. The handling of live ordnance and the decision-making 
in the use of this ordnance provides Fleet sailors and airmen the 
greatest degree of combat training realism. Exposure to live ordnance 
is known to rivet the attention of those who manage, handle, and employ 
it with a combination of fear and respect that non-explosive ordnance 
cannot impart. Moreover, employment of explosive ordnance onboard an 
aircraft carrier involves the hazardous end-to-end weapons regime; to 
include breakout, build-up, and loading; to weapons release, impact, 
aircraft return and recovery, both day and night. On the ground, 
redundancy in the availability of disparate explosive targets helps 
reduce the likelihood of fratricide and collateral damage by ensuring a 
rigorous, combat-like training regimen prior to overseas deployment. In 
the end, tactical pilots and flight officers must have full confidence 
in their support personnel, their equipment and weapons systems, and in 
their ability to safely and effectively prosecute difficult target 
sets.
    Explosive ordnance-capable ranges are limited to the Navy's 
Pinecastle Range and the Air Force's Eglin Air Force Base (Air Armament 
Center) on the East Coast of the United States. At these ranges, 
limitations exist with regard to range dimensions, run-in lines, the 
number of explosive ordnance target sets, fire index restrictions, and 
scheduling lead times, changes, and priorities. Consequently, explosive 
ordnance range capabilities must be expanded to a location proximate to 
planned Carrier Battlegroup Training in the Southeastern U.S. 
(Jacksonville and Gulf of Mexico Operational Areas) to reduce the 
potential for a single point of failure should the existing ranges be 
unavailable or unsuitable for a particular exercise. This location must 
have sufficient range area and suitably sized special use airspace to 
accommodate safe aircraft operations and ordnance delivery across the 
full spectrum of IDTC training.
    The purpose of the proposed action, therefore, is to provide 
flexibility across the full spectrum of the IDTC for U.S. Atlantic 
Fleet aircrews. Navy use of APAFR as a location for explosive air-to-
ground training would provide redundancy for explosive ordnance 
capabilities; increase combat realism, scheduling flexibility, and 
aimpoint variety; reduce undue operational impacts at any one location; 
and promote the benefits of multiple DOD,

[[Page 8746]]

Navy, and community partnerships. Navy will consider possible 
alternatives using a combination of ordinance target locations within 
the APAFR.
    The EIS will evaluate the environmental effects associated with: 
Airspace; noise; range safety; earth resources; water resources; air 
quality; biological resources, including threatened and endangered 
species; land use; socioeconomic resources; infrastructure; and 
cultural resources. The analysis will include an evaluation of the 
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. No decision will be made to 
implement any alternative until the NEPA process is completed.
    The Navy is initiating the scoping process to identify community 
concerns and local issues that will be addressed in the EIS. Federal, 
state, and local agencies, and interested persons are encouraged to 
provide oral and/or written comments to the Navy to identify specific 
issues or topics of environmental concern that should be addressed in 
the EIS. Written comments must be postmarked by April 15, 2003, and 
should be mailed to: Avon Park Air-to-Ground Training EIS, c/o 
Commanding Officer, Southern Div., Naval Facilities Engineering 
Command, PO Box 190010, North Charleston, SC 29419-9010, Attn: Code 
ES12/WS (Will Sloger), telephone (843) 820-5797, facsimile (843) 820-
7472.

    Dated: February 20, 2003.
J.T. Baltimore,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, 
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-4411 Filed 2-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810-FF-P