[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 61 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15120-15121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1571]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Renewal of Special 
Use Permit for Military Activities on the De Soto National Forest and 
Implementation of Installation Mission Support Activities at Camp 
Shelby, MS

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been 
prepared by National Guard Bureau (NGB) and the United States 
Department of Agriculture--Forest Service (USDA-FS). NGB is the lead 
agency and the USDA-FS is serving as a cooperating agency in the 
development of this DEIS for the renewal of the current Special Use 
Permit (SUP) that authorizes military training activities at Camp 
Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.

DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after 
publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or questions regarding the DEIS may be 
forwarded to Major Danny Blanton, Public Affairs Officer, Joint Forces 
Headquarters, Mississippi National Guard, P.O. Box 5027, Jackson, MS 
39296-5027.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Major Danny Blanton, Public Affairs 
Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters, Mississippi National Guard, at 
(601) 313-6349. The alternate point of contact for this action is 
Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Piazza, Mississippi Army National Guard, 
Director Environmental Program at (610) 313-6228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This DEIS discusses in-depth two 
alternatives: The Preferred Alternative and the No-Action Alternative. 
Under the Preferred Alternative, the Mississippi National Guard (MSNG) 
proposes the renewal of the USDA-FS SUP for a 20-year timeframe and 
authorizes current activities and mission requirements to continue on 
State of Mississippi, DoD, and National Forest lands. This alternative 
will help meet the Army requirements associated with the Proposed 
Action by constructing various new ranges and facilities at Camp Shelby 
and allowing for the continuation of necessary maintenance, repair, and 
rehabilitation of the infrastructure at Camp Shelby. The No Action 
Alternative would authorize the renewal of the SUP for a 10-year 
timeframe (same as previous SUP) and military activities would continue 
as currently permitted. This alternative would not authorize the 
proposed construction of new ranges and facilities and improved 
management practices. Other alternatives considered but eliminated from 
detailed study are addressed in the DEIS. The potential for significant 
impacts exists for both alternatives, however with the implementation 
of the ongoing and proposed mitigation and monitoring measures, the 
unavoidable adverse impacts can be mitigated to an acceptable level. 
Under the preferred

[[Page 15121]]

alternative, current activities and mission requirements will continue 
on State of Mississippi, DoD, and National Forest lands. This 
alternative includes implementation of the projects discussed in this 
DEIS, in addition to the continuation of necessary maintenance, repair, 
and rehabilitation of the military training infrastructure at Camp 
Shelby. Environmental consequences for the Proposed Action and No 
Action Alternative, have been analyzed. The new project proposals have 
the potential for the following significant adverse impacts:
    (1) Direct and/or indirect effects on approximately 250 gopher 
tortoise (federal threatened species) burrows;
    (2) Direct and/or indirect effects on habitat for other Proposed, 
Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive (PETS) species such as Louisiana 
quillwort (federal endangered species), black pine snake (federal 
candidate species), and other state and USDA-FS sensitive plant 
species. There would be direct positive effects on the red-cockaded 
woodpecker when colonies are relocated into the proposed Habitat 
Management Area at some time in the future;
    (3) Direct and/or indirect effects on approximately 275 acres of 
wetlands (requiring fill of an estimated 20 acres of wetlands);
    (4) Direct effects by removal of approximately 120 acres for pine 
and hardwood forested areas;
    (5) Direct effects by movement of approximately 250,000 cubic yards 
of earth, and resulting direct and/or indirect effects from erosion and 
sedimentation;
    (6) The potential environmental impacts associated with the 
Combined Arms Area (CAA) reconfiguration warrant a separate discussion. 
The proposed CAA reconfiguration would result in an approximate 4,300-
acre reduction in size and the amount of unavoidable potential 
significant adverse impacts associated with forest clearing/thinning 
and maneuver area usage from the CAA addressed and approved for 
construction in the 1994 SUP EIS. This large maneuver area is about 12 
percent complete (approximately 5,000 acres) based on the 1994 design. 
The MSNG and USDA-FS propose to reconfigure the CAA to reduce 
environmental impacts from the original design while still meeting the 
military training needs. The proposed reconfigured CAA would still 
produce potential significant adverse impacts; however, it would 
definitely be an improvement from an environmental standpoint over the 
original plan (and within the scope of the effects analyzed and 
documented in the 1994 SUP EIS). While the wetland acreage 
(approximately 2,719 acres), gopher tortoise burrow numbers (3,015 
burrows), and Louisiana quillwort colonies appear to be significant, 
the relatively minor impacts to date on the completed portion of the 
CAA places the potential effect of the reconfiguration into perspective 
given the overall reduction in acreage.
    Additional information on the DEIS is available at the following 
Web site: http://www.ngms.state.ms.us/env/Natural%20Resources/nat_resources_06.htm.

    Dated: March 14, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-1571 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
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