[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 107 (Friday, June 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31770-31771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13443]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Training Land Expansion for Fort Benning, GA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare an EIS to 
analyze environmental and socioeconomic impacts connected with the 
proposed acquisition of up to 82,800 additional acres of land for 
training in the vicinity of Fort Benning, Georgia. The land is needed 
to provide Fort Benning's Soldiers and units with the capability to 
conduct realistic maneuver training exercises through the battalion 
level as they train at home station to deploy to support operations 
abroad. This action will also support the training requirements of the 
Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE). The EIS will analyze four 
alternatives that are deemed feasible and meet the purpose and need for 
this Proposed Action, as well as the no action alternative of not 
acquiring more training land.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to Fort Benning Public 
Affairs, Attention: Mr. Bob Purtiman, Building 35, Room 375, Fort 
Benning, GA 31905, or e-mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Purtiman, Fort Benning 
Public Affairs Office, at (706) 545-8830 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. e.d.s.t.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Benning, located in west-central 
Georgia and east-central Alabama, is home to the: MCoE, including the 
Infantry and Armor Schools; 3d Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry 
Division; 75th Ranger Regiment; 11th Engineer Battalion; 13th Combat 
Support Service Battalion; and other organizations. Fort Benning's 
primary missions include supporting the training of these units in 
order to provide Soldiers with the most challenging and realistic 
training possible.
    Fort Benning is currently comprised of approximately 182,000 
contiguous acres of federally-owned land. The recently published Army 
Training Strategy has placed a focus on the conduct of battalion level 
maneuver training at home station for units subordinate to the Brigade 
Combat Teams. To meet this training requirement at Fort Benning, the 
Army has identified a need to acquire up to 82,800 acres of additional 
land to enhance realistic training conditions to better meet the 
training needs of the MCoE and deployable units stationed at Fort 
Benning. This additional land will enhance training of the units at 
Fort Benning and will allow Soldiers to train to more realistic 
standards in preparation for deployment. This action will also enable 
the Army to move certain Scout Leaders Course training off the current 
Installation to newly acquired property to comply with the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service biological opinion for the MCoE.
    The alternatives being studied include lands in several distinct 
study areas southeast and south of Fort Benning in Chattahoochee, 
Marion, Webster, and Stewart counties in Georgia and southwest of Fort 
Benning in Russell County, Alabama. The Army will also analyze the No 
Action Alternative, which will evaluate the impacts of not acquiring 
additional training land around Fort Benning. Resource areas which may 
be impacted as a result of converting current land use to support of 
military training, include air quality, traffic, noise, water 
resources, biological resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics, 
utilities, land use, and solid and hazardous materials/waste, as well 
as cumulative environmental

[[Page 31771]]

effects. Significant impacts could occur to socio-economics and land 
use.
    The public is invited to participate in the scoping process, which 
begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent in the Federal 
Register and will last for 30 days. The scoping process will include at 
least three public scoping meetings, which are opportunities for the 
public to receive information about the proposed action and 
alternatives, and to assist the Army in determining issues related to 
the proposed acquisition to be addressed in the EIS. These meetings 
will be held in communities surrounding Fort Benning and the specific 
details of the meetings will be announced in local media sources. The 
public will also be invited to review and comment on the Draft EIS when 
it is available for review. Comments from the public will be considered 
before any decision is made regarding implementing the proposed action 
at Fort Benning.

    Dated: May 24, 2010.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-13443 Filed 6-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P