[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 28 (Monday, February 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3149-3150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01839]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army


Environmental Impact Statement for the Development of a Heavy 
Off-Road Mounted Maneuver Training Area at Fort Benning, Georgia

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze potential environmental and 
socioeconomic impacts, and identify related mitigation measures, 
associated with the Army's proposal to develop, operate, and maintain a 
Heavy Off Road Mounted Maneuver Training Area (HOMMTA) of at least 
2,400 contiguous acres at Fort Benning, Georgia to support off-road 
armor vehicle movement and maneuver.

DATES: The public comment period will end 30 days after publication of 
the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register by the Department of the 
Army.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Fort Benning Environmental 
Management Division, Attn: NEPA Program Manager, 6650 Meloy Drive, 
Building 6, Room 309, Fort Benning, GA 31905-5122 or email to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Brown, Fort Benning 
Environmental Management Division, at (706) 545-7549 from 9 a.m. to 4 
p.m. EST. Information updates and background on the HOMMTA EIS can also 
be accessed at https://www.benning.army.mil/garrison/dpw/EMD/Legal.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Benning's Maneuver Center of Excellence 
(MCoE), which includes the Army's Armor and Infantry Schools, supports 
training of Infantry and Armor Soldiers and leaders for a wide variety 
of situations that they can expect to encounter on the modern 
battlefield. Fort Benning is also home to several deployable units that 
conduct heavy off-road maneuver training, including the 1st Security 
Force Assistance Brigade, Task Force 1-28 Infantry, and elements of the 
75th Ranger Regiment. Fort Benning must be able to train and develop 
highly skilled and cohesive units capable of conducting operations 
across the full spectrum of conflict. Inherent in and vital to this 
training is the requirement to provide sufficient heavy off-road 
mounted maneuver training area. Currently, the Good Hope Maneuver 
Training Area (GHMTA) is the only training area at Fort Benning 
suitable for this training. GHMTA maneuver boxes do not provide enough 
contiguous off-road maneuver space. Of the available 11,154 acres of 
the GHMTA, only 1,952 non-contiguous acres, with no more than 371 acres 
of open and maneuverable terrain in any section, can be used for heavy 
off-road mounted maneuver.
    The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide Fort Benning with 
a HOMMTA consistent with the current training requirements of the MCoE 
and Fort Benning's tenant units. The Proposed Action is needed to 
address the lack of sufficient contiguous off-road maneuver area to 
meet training requirements for heavy armor vehicle (tracked and 
wheeled) off-road maneuver training at Fort Benning. This lack of 
maneuver space has recently become more problematic since the Army's 
training strategy has changed and requires a more dispersed approach to 
movement and maneuver. The GHMTA does not have available area and time 
for both the required MCoE courses and deployable tenant units. 
Managing demand for the training area through scheduling is no longer a 
viable option.
    In concert with the EIS, the Army will prepare studies, analyses, 
and permit applications to meet other Federal requirements, such as 
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Sections 401 and 404 of the 
Clean Water Act, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act. Mitigation through avoidance and low-impact design would be used 
to avoid adverse impacts to sensitive environmental resources to the 
maximum extent practicable.
    The EIS will analyze the No Action Alternative and three distinct 
location alternatives on Fort Benning. The following alternatives 
proposed for analysis have been initially determined to be feasible and 
to meet the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action. Some 
alternatives are larger than the minimum 2,400 acres to ensure they 
include enough contiguous areas suitable for heavy off-road mounted 
maneuver training.
    Northern Mounted Maneuver Training Area (NMMTA) Alternative: This 
alternative includes approximately 4,723 acres and is located adjacent 
to and east of the current Northern Maneuver Training Area (NMTA) and 
west of the nearby Digital Multi-Purpose Range Complex (DMPRC).
    Red Diamond Alternative: This alternative includes approximately 
3,743 acres and is located south of the Southern Maneuver Training Area 
(SMTA) on the Installation's southern boundary.
    Eastern Boundary Alternative: This alternative includes 
approximately 2,405 acres and is located between the Kilo dudded impact 
area and the Installation's eastern boundary.
    Resource areas that will be analyzed in the EIS include: Land use, 
aesthetics, air quality, noise, geology and soils, water resources, 
biological resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics and 
environmental justice, traffic and transportation, utilities, and 
hazardous and toxic materials/waste. The EIS will also analyze 
potential cumulative environmental effects. Based on initial review by 
the Army, potentially significant adverse impacts to water, biological, 
and/or cultural resources could occur if no mitigation were included. 
Mitigation measures will be presented in the EIS to reduce potential 
adverse effects.
    The public is invited to participate in the scoping process. The 
scoping process begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent in 
the Federal Register and will last for 30 days. The scoping process 
will include a public scoping meeting, which is an

[[Page 3150]]

opportunity for the public to receive information about the Proposed 
Action and assist the Army in identifying issues related to the 
Proposed Action. This meeting will be held near Fort Benning; the 
specific details of the meeting will be announced in local media. The 
public will also be invited to review and comment on the Draft EIS when 
it is available for review. Comments from the public will be considered 
before any decision is made regarding implementation of the Proposed 
Action.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-01839 Filed 2-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-03-P