[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 29120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11800]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE


Notice of Intent (NOI) To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Proposed Establishment and Expansion of Military 
Airspace in Support of the Oregon Air National Guard (ORANG), Portland 
International Airport, Portland, and Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, OR

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force; DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and Air Force policy and 
procedures (32 CFR part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed establishment and expansion of Special 
Use Airspace over portions of Oregon and a small area over northwestern 
Nevada and southwestern Washington. The proposal would provide 
adequately sized and configured airspace within close proximity to 
ORANG flying units to support advanced 21st-century air-to-air tactical 
fighter technologies and current and evolving training mission 
requirements and ensure efficient and realistic mission-oriented 
training. The training would take place Monday through Friday and 
during one weekend per month.
    In support of the ORANG's 142d and 173d Fighter Wings, the Air 
Force and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) are proposing (Alternative A) 
to expand, modify, and establish air-to-air training airspace areas in 
four locations around the state: (1) Proposed expansion of Warning Area 
570 (W-570) to the west over the Pacific Ocean; (2) proposed 
establishment of the Eel Military Operations Area (MOA) directly 
underneath the existing Eel Air Traffic Control Assigned Area which is 
aligned north/south along the Oregon coast from approximately Astoria 
to Lincoln City and adjacent to W-570; (3) proposed establishment of 
the Redhawk MOA in north central Oregon roughly bounded by Highway 97/
197 on the west, the towns of Wasco and Lexington on the north, US 
Highway 395 on the east, and US Highway 26 on the south; and (4) 
proposed expansion of the existing Juniper/Hart MOA Complex to the east 
approximately 20 miles which would extend from approximately Burns to 
Frenchglen in Oregon and to Big Mountain in northwestern Nevada. Four 
alternatives and the No-Action Alternative will be analyzed. 
Alternative B includes the majority of airspace changes proposed for 
Alternative A; however, the Eel MOA would not be established. 
Alternative C includes the airspace changes proposed under Alternative 
A but the Redhawk MOA would not be established. Alternative D includes 
the airspace changes under Alternative A but would not include the 
eastward expansion of Juniper/Hart MOA Complex. Reasonable 
alternatives, which satisfy the underlying purpose and need for the 
proposed action, that are identified during the scoping process will 
also be assessed.
    Information: NGB will conduct public scoping meetings to solicit 
input concerning the proposal. The scoping process assists in 
determining the scope of issues to be addressed and to help identify 
significant environmental issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS. 
Comments will be accepted at any time during the environmental impact 
analysis process; however, to ensure that NGB has sufficient time to 
consider public feedback in the preparation of the Draft EIS, scoping 
comments should be submitted to the address below no later than 60 days 
from the date of this notice.
    Scoping meetings will be held in the following Oregon communities: 
Tillamook (June 17), Astoria (June 18), Condon (June 19), Burns (June 
20), and Prineville (June 21). Specific meeting times and locations 
will be provided in notices that will appear in The Oregonian and 
regional media outlets. Additional information will be made available 
at www.142fw.ang.af.mil and www.173fw.ang.af.mil.

ADDRESSES: Robert Dogan, National Guard Bureau/A7AM, 3501 Fetchet 
Avenue, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762-5157. Email: 
[email protected].

Henry Williams Jr.,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-11800 Filed 5-16-13; 8:45 am]
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