Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Fort Bliss Mission and Master Plan, Fort Bliss, Texas

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the Fort Bliss Mission and Master Plan, Fort Bliss, Texas

AGENCY: U.S. Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, Texas,

Department of the Army.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army is updating the Installation Master

Plan for Fort Bliss, Texas, and New Mexico. As a part of its efforts to

manage military training and to provide effective stewardship of

installation lands, the Army will prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) on the overall missions and activities at Fort Bliss in

accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Public

Law 91-190 (42 U.S.C. 4341). It will evaluate potential impacts from

existing mission activities and reasonably foreseeable mission and

activity changes projected for Fort Bliss

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as the installation adopts revisions to the installation's Master Plan,

the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, Cultural Resources

Management Plan, and the Range Modernization Plan.

Fort Bliss has approximately 1.1 million acres of land in Texas and

New Mexico comprising a complex of facilities and ranges to support

training and test activities of the U.S. Army and other organizations.

The main components of this complex include the main cantonment area

(which houses most support facilities), Biggs Army Airfield, and three

military training ranges: South Fort Bliss, Dona Ana Range, and

McGregor Range.

The installation is the home of the Army Air Defense Artillery

(ADA) Center and Fort Bliss, the Army Air Defense Artillery School, and

over 30 tenant units. It is among the largest Army posts in the

continental United States (CONUS) and is the only troop training

installation in CONUS capable of supporting long-range missile firings.

The following organizations are currently located or anticipated

for stationing on the installation:

The Test and Experimentation Command's Air Defense

Artillery Test Directorate provides the ADA Center with an independent

organization capable of conducting air defense weapons experimentation,

force development, and operational testing.

Joint Task Force Six provides assistance and support to

various law enforcement agencies with drug interdiction missions.

The U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy trains enlisted

leaders.

The William Beaumont Army Medical Center, a part of the

Army Medical Command, provides full-service medical treatment for all

military services in Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas.

Fort Bliss is the home station for the German Air Force

Command in the United States and Canada, and the German Air Defense

School.

Four ADA Brigades aligned under the U.S. Army Forces

Command are scheduled to be stationed at Fort Bliss.

Alternatives: The EIS will identify existing mission activities and

reasonably foreseeable mission and activity changes projected for Fort

Bliss through the installation's Master Plan, Integrated Natural

Resources Management Plan, Cultural Resources Management Plan, and

Range Modernization Plan. The EIS will describe the existing

environment, cultural and natural resources, social, economic, and

environmental justice conditions and impacts to those existing

conditions associated with the overall mission of Fort Bliss. The EIS

will consider reasonable alternatives including the status quo,

implementation of the Master Plan, and full mobilization of active Army

and reserve forces planned for Fort Bliss as described in the

installation's Mobilization Plan.

Significant issues that will be addressed are current and planned

Fort Bliss activities that could potentially impact over 1.1 million

acres of the installation. Within this area are at least 13,900 known

archaeological sites, 2,000 of which may be eligible for listing in the

National Register of Historic Places, and potentially five federally

listed endangered or threatened species. Implementation of the Master

Plan will also result in demolition and new construction of facilities

throughout the main cantonment area.

Additional significant issues that must be considered but will be

covered with their own environmental documentation are: Continued

withdrawal of land from public domain (McGregor Range) for military

training; and the U.S. Air Force's Holloman Air Force Base proposal to

locate a target area on McGregor Range.

Scoping: Scoping meetings in connection with this EIS will be held

in three communities: Las Cruces and Alamogordo, New Mexico, and El

Paso, Texas. Meeting times and locations will be published in local

newspapers. These meetings will provide the opportunity for the public

to become aware of the EIS and for the Army to gather public input

regarding the scope of the study. Those unable to attend the scheduled

scoping meetings may submit written comments regarding the scope of the

EIS throughout the scoping period. A mailing list has been prepared for

public scoping and review throughout the process of preparation of this

PEIS. This list includes local, state and Federal agencies with

jurisdictions or other interests in the project. In addition, the

mailing list includes all adjacent property owners, affected

municipalities and other interested parties such as conservation

organizations. Anyone wishing to be added to the mailing list should

contact the person identified below.

For Further Information: Please direct written questions or

comments concerning the scope of the Fort Bliss Mission and Master Plan

EIS to: Mr. Keith Landreth, Chief of the Cultural/Natural Resource

Division, Directorate of Environment, U.S. Army Air Defense Center and

Fort Bliss, ATTN: ATZC-DOE-C, Fort Bliss, Texas 79916; telephone (915)

568-3782.

Raymond J. Fatz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Environment, Safety, and

Occupational Health) OASA (I, L&E).

[FR Doc. 96-29328 Filed 11-14-96; 8:45 am]

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