[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16316-16317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06423]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Pi[ntilde]on Canyon Maneuver Site Training and Operations 
Environmental Impact Statement for Fort Carson, CO

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces its intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts of proposed training and operations activities at 
Pi[ntilde]on Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS), CO. The PCMS is the maneuver 
site for Fort Carson, CO. The PCMS is located near Trinidad, CO, 
approximately 150 miles southeast of Fort Carson, and

[[Page 16317]]

consists of approximately 235,000 acres. The EIS will assess proposed 
PCMS training, infrastructure improvement, and land management 
activities to support Fort Carson training requirements. It will also 
assess the impacts of reclassification of the airspace that overlies 
PCMS. The proposed action does not include, nor would it require, 
expansion of PCMS.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Proposed Action or requests for additional 
information should be sent to the Fort Carson NEPA Program Manager, 
Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division, 1626 Evans Street, 
Building 1219, Fort Carson, CO 80913-4362, or call (719) 526-4666. 
Comments may also be submitted via email to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Fort Carson Public Affairs Office 
at (719) 526-1269, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST; 
or by email to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS is being prepared to meet the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to 
evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of implementing 
proposed actions at PCMS.
    PCMS supports readiness training for units up to Brigade-size 
stationed at Fort Carson and for visiting Reserve and National Guard 
units. Training must fully integrate ground and air resources and 
reflect the modern battlefield environment for which Soldiers are 
preparing. The PCMS must accommodate training for current and emerging 
tactics and new equipment; provide training infrastructure, land and 
airspace within PCMS necessary to support training requirements; and 
support assigned and visiting units.
    Advances in equipment and weapons systems, to include their 
incorporation into tactical units, dictate changes in how the Army 
trains, alterations to ranges (including range airspace) for maneuver 
training and doctrinal changes to accommodate mission-essential 
training prior to global deployments. PCMS must support training that 
incorporates these technological and doctrinal changes.
    The proposed action would accommodate additional training tasks and 
equipment to enable training of current and future Fort Carson units. 
Additional tasks and equipment include unmanned aerial and ground 
systems, jamming systems, laser target sightings, non-explosive mortars 
up to 120 mm, and non-explosive aerial gunnery. Unmanned aerial systems 
would be reconnaissance systems, with no live-fire capability. The Army 
recently announced decisions to inactivate one Armor Brigade Combat 
Team (BCT), realign an Armor BCT and an Infantry BCT by adding an 
additional maneuver battalion to each, and convert the remaining Armor 
BCT to a Stryker BCT. The final configuration will result in three 
BCTs: One Armor, one Infantry, and one Stryker. PCMS must support the 
training needs of these BCTs. Reclassification of the special use 
airspace that overlies PCMS (not to extend over land outside the 
boundaries of PCMS) to restricted airspace is part of the proposed 
action. This reclassification is required to conduct integrated and 
realistic air and land training and to accommodate high-angle, 
indirect-fire weapon systems and airborne laser target sighting system 
training. This proposed reclassification would enable the safe 
integration of airborne systems (such as unmanned aerial systems) for 
force-on-force training. Artillery, high explosive aerial ordnance, and 
Stinger and Hellfire missiles will not be fired at PCMS. Non-dud 
producing munitions fired from aerial systems, including 5.56mm, 
7.62mm, .50 caliber, 20mm, 30mm, 2.75'' inert rockets, none of which 
exceed 81mm, will not produce residual unexploded munitions.
    The proposed action could have significant impacts to airspace, 
soil erosion, wildfire management, cultural resources, and water 
resources. Mitigation measures will be identified for adverse impacts.
    The proposed action only considers activity within the boundaries 
of PCMS. The proposed action does not include, nor would it require, 
any expansion of PMCS. No additional land will be sought or acquired as 
a result of this action.
    In addition to analyzing reasonably foreseeable cumulative impacts, 
which could include additional site infrastructure capable of hosting 
more local support staff, the EIS will also analyze a No Action 
Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, current mission 
activities and training operations would continue, as well as range use 
and training land management. Management would continue to include 
routine maintenance and natural resource sustainment activities. This 
alternative, required by NEPA, encompasses baseline conditions and will 
serve as a benchmark against which the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action can be compared. Other reasonable alternatives will be 
considered for evaluation in the EIS.
    Scoping and public comments: Governmental agencies, interest 
groups, and individuals are invited to participate in the scoping 
process. Public meetings will be held in Trinidad and La Junta, 
Colorado. Information on the time and location of the public meetings 
will be published locally. In addition, the Army will engage in 
consultation with federally recognized Native American tribes regarding 
the proposed action. The scoping process will help identify possible 
alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key issues of 
concern to be analyzed in the EIS. It will also eliminate issues which 
are not significant or which have been covered by prior environmental 
reviews from detailed consideration. Written comments will be accepted 
within 30 days of publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal 
Register.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-06423 Filed 3-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P