[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 3059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-475]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Supplemental Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) for the Proposed Addition of 
Maneuver Training Land at Fort Irwin, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the SFEIS for the Proposed 
Addition of Maneuver Training Land at Fort Irwin. The SFEIS assesses 
the potential environmental impacts of the addition of maneuver lands 
to supplement the current training corridors at the National Training 
Center at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert of California by 
approximately 118,674 acres. The proposed expanded maneuver training 
will improve necessary field training by providing a more realistic 
battle corridor. The cooperating agencies for this project are: Bureau 
of Land Management (as the administrator of the vast majority of the 
lands within the study area), the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (as a tenant on Fort Irwin), and the Federal Aviation 
Administration (as some of the alternatives involve possible changes to 
airspace).

DATES: The waiting period for the SFEIS will end 30 days after 
publication of the NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency. No sooner than the expiration of the 
waiting period, the Army will sign a Record of Decision (ROD). A Notice 
of Availability of the ROD will also be published in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Direct questions and/or written comments regarding the SFEIS 
to, or request a copy of the document from, Ms. Jennifer Barry, 
Strategic Planning Office, PO Box 10309, Fort Irwin, California 92310.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jennifer Barry at (760) 380-6174; 
by e-mail at [email protected]; or by facsimile at (760) 
380-6171.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SFEIS analyzed the following six 
alternatives to meet the need for additional maneuver training lands at 
Fort Irwin:
    (1) Alternative 1 (preferred alternative) analyzed expanding 
training to the east and west to include reintroduction of training in 
Fort Irwin lands previously set aside to the south (UTM 90 area). 
Additional lands totaling approximately 150,510 acres would be added to 
the available training lands.
    (2) Alternative 2 analyzed expanding training to the east and the 
south, including the UTM 90 area. Additional lands totaling 
approximately 156,340 acres would be added to the available training 
lands.
    (3) Alternative 3 analyzed expanding training to the east. 
Additional lands totaling approximately 48,760 acres would be added to 
the available training lands.
    (4) Alternative 4 analyzed expanding training to the east, west, 
and south to include reintroducing the UTM 90 area. Additional lands 
totaling approximately 185,301 acres would be added to the available 
training lands.
    (5) Alternative 5 analyzed expanding training to the east and 
reintroduction of the UTM 90 area. Additional lands totaling 
approximately 72,060 acres would be added to the available training 
lands.
    (6) Alternative 6 analyzed no action, under which no expansion 
would occur and training would continue as currently exists. The 
Congressionally withdrawn lands would be managed under the Interim 
Management Plan until further disposition was decided.
    Public involvement for this project has included five scoping 
sessions held for the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(SDEIS) which began in November 2001 and ended in January 2002; a 45-
day public review of the SDEIS, with a 15-day extension; and public 
hearings at various locations throughout southern California to receive 
public comment on the SDEIS. Written comments and other forms of input 
from public and private entities were addressed in the SFEIS.
    Copies of the SFEIS are available for review at the following 
libraries: Library of Congress; Riverside Main Library; San Diego 
County Library; and San Bernardino County Libraries at the following 
locations: Hesperia, San Bernardino, Apple Valley, Trona, Barstow, Big 
Bear, Lucerne Valley, Victorville, Wrightwood, and Yucca Valley.
    The SFEIS may also be viewed at the Land Expansion Web Site: http://fortirwindlandexpansion.com.

    Dated: January 10, 2006.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health) DASA (ESOH).
[FR Doc. 06-475 Filed 1-18-06; 8:45 am]
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