Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Renewal of the McGregor Range, New Mexico, Military Land Withdrawal

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the Renewal of the McGregor Range, New Mexico, Military Land

Withdrawal

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

Bliss, Texas and New Mexico, Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The United States Army will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of

renewal of the McGregor Range, New Mexico, military land withdrawal.

McGregor Range, New Mexico, is an integral part of the U.S. Army Air

Defense Artillery Center and For Bliss (USAADACENFB). The current land

withdrawal and reservation of the McGregor Range was established by the

Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-606) for the period

ending November 6, 2001. The Act provides that the Army may seek

renewal of the McGregor Range withdrawal, in connection with which the

Secretary of the Army will publish a Draft EIS consistent with the

requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.

In preparing the DEIS, the Army and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

have mutually agreed to use the legislative environmental impact

statement (LEIS) process pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.8 to comply with the

requirements of P.L. 99-606. This LEIS will be prepared in cooperation

with BLM and will be completed by November 6, 1998, in accordance with

P.L. 99-606. Therefore, pursuant to the LEIS process, a Final LEIS

(FLEIS) will be prepared and a Notice of Availability of the FLEIS will

be published in the Federal Register; however, there will not be a

Record of Decision.

The purpose of the proposed McGregor Range renewal is to retain a

military training and testing range essential to near and long-term

preparedness of the U.S. Army and other military services. Renewing the

land withdrawal will provide for the continuation of on-going training

and testing missions for air defense artillery systems while

maintaining the flexibility to adapt to the training needs of new

technologies and doctrine as they develop. McGregor Range provides a

combination of attributes that serve this training requirement,

including favorable location and weather; sufficient land and airspace;

diverse terrain; and developed training support facilities. McGregor

Range includes approximately 608,385 acres of withdrawn pubic domain

land in Otero County, New Mexico, containing a complex of facilities,

ranges, and safety areas to support training and test activities of the

U.S. Army and other organizations.

As a result of the Military lands Withdrawal Act of 1986, the Army

and BLM co-manage McGregor Range with military requirements having

priority over non-military uses. This management arrangement is defined

in a Memorandum of Understanding between Fort Bliss and the BLM which

define agency responsibilities related to energy and mineral resources,

wildlife habitat management, grazing, recreation, hunting, visual and

cultural resources, fire management, wilderness study areas and areas

of environmental concern.

The LEIS will consider reasonable alternatives including renewal of

the current public domain land withdrawal for military use. Without

limiting the priority military use, non-military co-use activities

would continue to be managed in part by the BLM. The No Action

(allowing the current withdrawal to expire) alternative required by

NEPA will be evaluated. Other reasonable alternatives will also be

considered.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 9, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Please direct written comments concerning the scope of the McGregor

Range, New Mexico, Military Land Withdrawal Renewal LEIS to: Dr. A.

Vliet, Program Manager, McGregor Range Withdrawal, U.S. Army Air

Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, ATTN: ATZC-CSA, PO Box 6020,

Fort Bliss, Texas 79906; telephone (915) 568-6708.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: Continuance of military and non-military multiple

use of McGregor Range, in particular the area known as Otero Mesa will

be addressed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public scoping meetings in connection with

this LEIS 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 LEIS and for the Army

to gather public input regarding the scope of the study and reasonable

alternatives. Those unable to attend the scheduled scoping meetings may

submit written comments regarding the scope of the LEIS through January

9, 1998, to the address above.

A mailing list has been prepared for public scoping and review

throughout the process of preparation of this LEIS. This list includes

local, state and federal agencies with jurisdiction of other interests

in the project. In addition, the mailing list includes adjacent

property owners, affected municipalities and other interested parties

such as conservation organizations. Anyone wishing to be added to the

mailing list may request to be added by contacting the person

identified below.

Dated: October 24, 1997.

Richard E. Newsome,

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

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

[FR Doc. 97-28637 Filed 10-28-97; 8:45 am]

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