[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36525-36526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13389]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Training Land Expansion at Fort Benning, Georgia and Alabama, 
Withdrawal of Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent; Withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army is announcing withdrawal of its 
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Fort Benning Training Land Expansion as well as the 
subsequent Draft EIS. The original NOI was published in the Federal 
Register on June 4, 2010 (75 FR 31770). The Notice of Availability for 
the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2011 (76 
FR 28005). The Army has determined that the proposed land acquisition 
will no longer be pursued due to a reduction in requirements. This was 
the result of a combination of force structure realignment decisions 
affecting Fort Benning and actions taken to relocate maneuver training 
for Fort Benning's Army Reconnaissance Course (ARC). This ends the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for this action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Monica Manganaro, Fort Benning 
Public Affairs Office: at (706) 545-3438, Monday through Friday, 8:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. E.S.T.; by email to [email protected]; 
or postal service mail to PAO, Ste 141-W McGinnis-Wickam Hall, 1 Karker 
Street, Fort Benning, GA 31905.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Benning, home to the Maneuver Center of 
Excellence (MCoE), is the Army's premier basic training installation, 
training Infantry, Armor, and Cavalry Soldiers in basic and advanced 
combat skills, as well as Airborne Soldiers and Rangers.
    Training Land Expansion at Fort Benning met two requirements. The 
first was to secure additional maneuver area consistent with doctrinal 
training requirements. The second purpose was a time-sensitive 2009 
Biological Opinion (BO) that required movement of ARC heavy maneuver 
training to an area outside the current Fort Benning without Red-
Cockaded Woodpeckers (a listed species under the Endangered Species 
Act).
    The Army published a Draft EIS on May 13, 2011 to study the 
potential environmental impacts of acquisition and use of up to 
approximately 82,800

[[Page 36526]]

acres of additional land. The study area for land acquisition consisted 
of areas neighboring Fort Benning capable of supporting military 
training. The Army held public meetings and received numerous comments 
on the Draft EIS.
    In July, 2015, Fort Benning completed an Environmental Assessment 
(EA) for Enhanced Training, which considered converting the Armor 
Brigade Combat Team (BCT) to an Infantry BCT; and relocating the ARC 
heavy mechanized training to the Good Hope Maneuver Training Area 
(GHMTA), an area on the current Fort Benning without Red-Cockaded 
Woodpeckers. These changes would allow the Infantry BCT and the ARC to 
train without the need to acquire additional training land. In July 
2015, the Army announced the decision to convert the Armor BCT to an 
Infantry Battalion Task Force (a smaller unit than a BCT). In October 
2015, the Army signed a Finding of No Significant Impact based on the 
July EA, selecting the conversion and ARC relocation alternative. In 
December 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a BO finding 
that the relocation of the ARC heavy mechanized training to the GHMTA 
was the ``equivalent'' of moving the training off Fort Benning, as 
called for by the 2009 BO. Since an Infantry BCT (and the smaller task 
force) can train on the current Fort Benning, and there is no longer a 
need to find land off the installation to comply with the BO, the 
requirement for additional training land has been greatly reduced. 
Therefore Army is withdrawing the NOI and the Draft EIS for the 
proposed training land expansion. This ends the NEPA process for this 
action. The Army's most recent Fiscal Year 2017 budget submission and 
associated future years defense program for the next five fiscal years 
(thru Fiscal Year 2021) does not include any programmed funds to 
acquire land at Fort Benning. If land acquisition at Fort Benning were 
ever to be pursued in the future, a new NOI would be published.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaisons Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-13389 Filed 6-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-03-P