[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80798-80799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32176]


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

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) for Land Acquisition, South Texas Training Center 
(STTC), in McMullen County, TX

AGENCY: National Guard Bureau, Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare a PEIS to 
analyze the environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the 
proposed land acquisition and use of approximately 22,232 acres for 
implementation of an RPMP and mission activities in south Texas. The 
proposed land area, currently in private ownership, would become the 
STTC. This action will support the training requirements of the TXARNG 
units located in central and south Texas. The PEIS will analyze 
alternatives that are deemed feasible to meet the purpose and need for 
this Proposed Action.

[[Page 80799]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain Jeff Basa at (512) 782-7924 or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army has identified the need for land 
acquisition and use of approximately 22,232 acres of land to enhance 
realistic training conditions. No adequate maneuver training land is 
currently available within a suitable travel time for the three TXARNG 
Battalions stationed in south Texas. The Army proposes land acquisition 
of approximately 22,232 acres for additional maneuver training land to 
meet the training needs of the TXARNG. This additional land will 
enhance training and will allow Soldiers to train to more realistic 
standards in preparation for operational deployment at a site located 
closer to their home communities. The Army Training Division, National 
Guard Bureau, is the action proponent; the land would be owned by the 
Army and licensed to the TXARNG.
    The TXARNG PEIS will analyze the environmental and socioeconomic 
impacts of land acquisition to establish the STTC. The land acquisition 
alternative is located adjacent to and northeast of the existing U.S. 
Navy-owned Dixie Range in McMullen County. A PEIS is proposed for this 
analysis to address the implementation of the RPMP, which would consist 
of a number of construction phases to be implemented over an extended 
timeframe (estimated 15 to 20 years). This PEIS would analyze the 
general development of a cantonment area, training areas, and 
infrastructure support. Separate environmental analyses may be required 
at a later date, as necessary, for development not covered within this 
PEIS. The Army No Action Alternative will evaluate the impacts of 
taking no action to acquire additional training land. Resources and 
issues that will be evaluated in the PEIS include changes in land use 
from private hunting lands to military training lands; potential 
impacts to biological, cultural, and water resources; changes in 
transportation and traffic in the region. At this point, we do not 
anticipate any significant impacts. Additional concerns raised during 
the initial public involvement process will also be addressed in the 
PEIS.
    The Notice of Intent can be viewed at http://www.agd.state.tx.us. 
Scoping and Public Comment: Federally recognized tribes, federal, 
state, and local agencies, and the public are invited to participate in 
the scoping process for the preparation of the PEIS. The scoping 
process will include one public scoping meeting, which is an 
opportunity for the public to receive information about the proposed 
action and alternatives and to assist the Army in identifying potential 
environmental impacts and key issues of concern to be analyzed in the 
PEIS. The meeting will be held in McMullen County, Texas. Notification 
of the time and location for the scoping meeting will be announced in 
local media sources. To ensure scoping comments are fully considered in 
the preparation of the PEIS, comments and suggestions should be 
received within the 30-day scoping period. The public will also be 
invited to review and comment on the Draft PEIS when it is available 
for review. Notification letters will be mailed to Native American 
tribes, federal, state, and local agencies regarding the scoping 
process and Draft PEIS availability. A public meeting will take place 
during the comment period on the Draft PEIS and the public will be 
invited to share their views and concerns. Comments from the public 
will be considered before any decision is made regarding implementing 
the proposed action.

    Dated: December 13, 2010.
Hershell E. Wolfe,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and 
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-32176 Filed 12-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P