Notice of Intent to Prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact Statement for Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) Renewal, AZ

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force

Notice of Intent to Prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact

Statement for Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR) Renewal, AZ

The United States Air Force (Air Force) will prepare a legislative

environmental impact statement (LEIS) to assess the potential

environmental impacts of renewal of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force

Range (BMGR), Arizona. The LEIS will be prepared in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The current land withdrawal and reservation of the BMGR was

established by the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 (Public Law

99-606) for the period ending on November 6, 2001. The Act provides

that the Air Force may seek renewal of the BMGR withdrawal, in

connection with which the Secretary of the Air Force will publish a

legislative EIS addressing legislative alternatives and the effects of

continued withdrawal.

The purpose of the proposed BMGR renewal is to retain a military

aircrew training range essential to near- and long-term preparedness of

United States tactical air forces. Renewing the land withdrawal will

provide for the continued effective implementation of ongoing air

services training missions while maintaining the flexibility to adapt

to the training needs of new technologies as they develop. The

performance of air operations in combat is directly related to the

quality and depth of training. BMGR provides a unique combination of

attributes that serve this training requirement, including the

following: favorable location and flying weather; sufficient land and

airspace; diverse terrain; and developed training support facilities.

A range of alternatives, including the No Action alternative

required by NEPA, will be considered. Three alternatives are described

below.

Proposed Action: Renew Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range

withdrawal and reservation for an indefinite period of time with

Congressional review every 15 years. The existing land withdrawal and

reservation, consisting of 2,664,423 acres, would be reauthorized for

an indefinite period of time. The land would be reserved by Congress

for use by the Air Force for an armament and high-hazard test area;

training for aerial gunnery, rocketry, electronic warfare, and tactical

maneuvering and air support; and other defense-related purposes. Every

15 years Congress would review the Air Force's continuing military need

for the land, the environmental effects, and the needs of competing

uses for the land and could adjust, if warranted, the terms and

conditions of the withdrawal. Without limiting the priority use by the

Air Force, the land would be managed in part by the Bureau of Land

Management and in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Specifically, the Bureau of Land Management would manage 1,842,423

acres of the BMGR pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management

Act of 1976 and other applicable law. (The limited acreage of State

Trust Land within this portion of the BMGR would continue under Air

Force use.) The remaining 822,000 acres of the BMGR are within the

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and would be managed by the Fish

and Wildlife Service pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System

Act of 1976.

Alternative A: Renew the existing BMGR land withdrawal and

reservation for 25 years. The existing land withdrawal and reservation,

consisting of 2,664,423 acres, would be reauthorized for a specified

term of 25 years, rather than for an indefinite time with periodic

reviews. Otherwise, this alternative is like the Proposed Action.

No Action Alternative: No renewal of the BMGR land

withdrawal and reservation. The land would not be reserved for use by

the Air Force. The lands within the existing BMGR boundary would be

managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the State of Arizona, and the

Fish and Wildlife Service under existing authorities. The No Action

alternative would result in the fragmentation or cancellation of

training missions accomplished at the BMGR. DOD would prepare

appropriate environmental documentation to obtain Federal Aviation

Administration approval to reclassify the existing restricted airspace

to a Military Operation Area (MOA). This would allow for air-to-air

training operations to continue, but would preclude air-to-ground

training missions.

To provide a forum for interested parties to provide comments on

the

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scope of the LEIS, a series of scoping meetings will be held in eight

southern Arizona communities. In addition, written comments will be

accepted throughout the scoping period, which ends April 1, 1996.

Scoping meetings will be held at the following times and locations.

Public Meeting Locations and Times

Phoenix--February 20, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Glendale Community College,

Student Union, Student Lounge, 6000 W. Olive Ave.

Sells--February 24, 1996, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Tribal Council Chambers

Tucson--February 26, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., U of A Medical College,

Duval Auditorium, 1501 N. Campbell Ave.

Ajo--February 27, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Ajo Community Center, Bud

Walker Park, 290 E. 5th St.

Santa Rosa--February 28, 1996, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Santa Rosa Boarding

School

Yuma--March 4, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Yuma Civic Center, 1440 Desert

Hills Drive

Gila Bend--March 5, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Gila Bend Union High School,

Logan Auditorium, 308 N. Martin

Casa Grande--March 6, 1996, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Ironwood Elementary School,

Gymnasium, 1500 N. Colorado

Please direct written comments concerning the BMGR Renewal LEIS to:

Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range Renewal LEIS, P.O. Box 1558, Tempe,

Arizona 85280-1558.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please

contact Lt. Marshall Wolfe at (602) 856-6011.

Patsy J. Conner,

Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-2913 Filed 2-8-96; 8:45 am]

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