[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 48862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19468]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Air Force


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Gulf 
Regional Airspace Strategic Initiative (GRASI) Landscape Initiative

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Air Force is issuing this notice to advise the public of 
its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Gulf 
Regional Airspace Strategic Initiative (GRASI) Landscape Initiative 
(GLI) is a U.S Air Force-led partnership with the State of Florida and 
other state and federal agencies to expand the capacity of the region 
to safely host military test and training operations.
    Under the GLI EIS, the Air Force's Proposed Action is to utilize 
Blackwater River State Forest (BRSF) and Tate's Hell State Forest 
(THSF) for establishing helicopter landing and drop zones, airstrips, 
and a number of different land and air training activities which 
currently occur within the interstitial (areas between designated test/
training sites) areas of the Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) Range. The Air 
Force is also proposing to establish up to 12 radar, telemetry, and 
training emitter sites throughout northwest Florida. The emitter sites 
would support development of an integrated air defense system, which 
would provide unique, viable, and robust air training.
    Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to 
be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope (i.e. 
what will be covered and in what detail) by soliciting comments from 
interested state and federal agencies and interested members of the 
public through the Federal Register and various media in the local 
communities near the Proposed Action. The Air Force will also hold a 
series of scoping meetings to further solicit input regarding the scope 
of the proposed action and any reasonable alternatives.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held in the local communities near the 
state forests. The scheduled dates, times, locations and addresses for 
the scoping meetings will be published in local media a minimum of 15 
days prior to the scoping meetings. The Air Force intends to hold 
scoping meetings in the following communities on the following dates:

August 27, 2013: Milton Community Center, Gracie Room, 5629 Byrom St., 
Milton, Florida
August 28, 2013: Blountstown Civic Center, 17773 Ne Pear St., 
Blountstown, Florida
August 29, 2013: Apalachicola Community Center, 1 Bay Ave, 
Apalachicola, Florida

    Scoping comments can be submitted to the mailing address below or 
via the GRASI GLI EIS Web site (grasieis.leidoseemg.com) by the date 
indicated. Comments will be accepted at any time during the 
environmental impact analysis process. However, to ensure the Air Force 
has sufficient time to consider public input in the preparation of the 
Draft EIS, comments should be submitted to the Web site or the address 
listed below by September 9, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Mike Spaits, Eglin AFB Public 
Affairs Office, 96 TW/PA, 101 West D Avenue, Suite 110, Eglin AFB, FL 
32542-5499, (850) 882-2836 [email protected] September 9, 2013.

Henry Williams Jr,
DAF, Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-19468 Filed 8-9-13; 8:45 am]
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