[Federal Register: February 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 28)]
[Notices]
[Page 7249-7250]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11fe05-43]
[[Page 7249]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Draft Environmental Impact Statement to Fully Integrate the
Overhills Property Into the Fort Bragg Training Program, Fort Bragg, NC
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to fully integrate the
Overhills property into the Fort Bragg Training Program, Fort Bragg,
Cumberland and Harnett Counties, North Carolina. Presently, realistic
training in Fort Bragg's Northern Training Area (NTA), one of Fort
Bragg's largest training areas, is hampered by the two sets of training
rules that govern training in the units. Although no physical barriers
separate the Overhills training units, NTA V-VII, from NTA units I-IV,
the Overhills Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) limits the number of
personnel and types of activities during training exercises,
effectively creating a training barrier. Applying the same training
regulation to the Overhills that governs training on the rest of the
installation's training program, and maximize training possibilities
through the NTA.
DATES: Comments: To be considered in preparation for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement, comments must be received not later
than March 28, 2005 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Meetings: A public meeting will be held at the Cumberland County
Library and Information Center, 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, North
Carolina, no earlier than 15 days after the release of the DEIS to the
public.
ADDRESSES: Please direct written comments or requests for copies to the
DEIS to David A. Heins, Chief, Environmental Sustainment Division,
Public Works Business Center, ATTN: AFZA-PW-E, Fort Bragg, NC 28310, or
e-mail to heinsd@bragg.army.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Heins, (910) 396-8207 or e-
mail to heinsd@bragg.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Bragg serves as headquarters for the
XVIII Airborne Corps and Army Special Operations Command, and is home
to the 82nd Airborne Division. The primary mission of Fort Bragg is the
training and deployment of military units. Fort Bragg supports the most
intensive and varied training program in the continental United States.
An average of 2.5 million personnel days of training is conducted at
Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall (a sub-installation to Fort Bragg) each
year. Training to sustain readiness is Fort Bragg's primary activity.
Land upon which to train personnel is vital to Fort Bragg's
mission. In 1995, Fort Bragg directed a study that identified a
shortfall of maneuver land of 81,876 acres, and a weapons range and
impact area shortfall of 43,636 acres. In order to reduce this training
land deficit, the Department of the Army purchased the Overhills
property from the Rockefeller family in 1997.
The Overhills property comprises 10,580 acres in Cumberland and
Harnett Counties, North Carolina, and adjoins the northern boundaries
of Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. An Environmental Assessment was
prepared in 1999 to adopt an Interim Training Program (ITP) on the
Overhills tract. Under the ITP, training was restricted to company-
level, low impact (limited) military training.
Presently, the maneuver/training areas at Fort Bragg are so heavily
utilized that the land to support training needs to be used to its
fullest extent. These factors, in conjunction with the training land
deficit identified by Fort Bragg, demonstrate the need to make maximum
use of available training lands on Fort Bragg. Fully incorporation the
Overhills tract, which represents the eastern part of the NTA and
comprises almost half of the training area, into the installation's
training program would enhance training throughout the NTA, and help
sustain environmental resources in other training areas on Fort Bragg.
The Army proposes to fully integrte the Overhills into Fort Bragg's
training program. The DEIS analyzes the No Action/Status Quo
alternative as well as three action alternatives. Alternatives
considered in detail in the DEIS are:
Alternative 1 (No Action)--Continue limited training, existing
recreation, and preservation of the Overhills Historic District (the
District). Fort Bragg would conduct this training in accordance with
the existing Fort Bragg SOP for training on the Overhills. This SOP
limits training exercises to company-sized units (approximately 250
personnel, including exercise support personnel) and prescribes the
procedures for use of the Overhills for training. Company-size
exercises generally require fewer than 75 vehicles per exercise.
Exercises would be scheduled 4-6 times per month. The following types
of exercises are permitted under the Overhills SOP:
Dismounted movement: Air mobile insertions; firing of blank small
arms ammunition (up to .50 caliber) and simulators; movement of wheeled
vehicles on maintained roads and trails; fixed activities limited to
bivouac, signal, or medical in existing clearings; military operations
on urbanized terrain (MOUNT) training in buildings, but only on non-
contributing elements within the District and non-eligible resources
outside the District; hasty hand-dug personnel fighting positions; use
of flame-producing munitions of any type.
Hunting and fishing would continue to be allowed subject to
restrictions imposed on public access by military training schedules.
The District would be preserved in accordance with the ``Standards
for Preservation'' in the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the
Treatment of Historic Properties (38 CFR Part 68). Training in
buildings considered contributing elements would not be permitted, but
maneuvers in open areas within the historic district boundary would
continue.
Alternative 2--Limited training, additional recreation, and
adaptive reuse and/or layaway of selected contributing elements within
the District. Training units would be limited to company-size (250
personnel plus support personnel), but training would be conducted in
accordance with the Installation Range Regulation (IRR), not the
Overhills SOP. The following additional training would be permitted:
Ground and air maneuvers involving both mechanized and light
infantry with attached combat support and combat service support;
operation of wheeled and tracked vehicles off road; river crossing,
bridging, and waterborne operations (including water drops);
construction of fortifications and obstacles; helicopter landing zones;
excavations (in addition to hand-dug positions) for survivability
emplacements, such as vehicle fighting positions; and use of tear gas
and obscurant smoke.
A youth golf program and a horse stables program would be added to
the recreational programs at Fort Bragg. These programs would utilize
several of the historic buildings and structures on Overhills such as
the Donald Ross golf course, the polo barn, and riding stables. New
facilities would also be constructed. Hunting and fishing would
continue as discussed under Alternative 1.
This alternative would maintain the historic integrity of 15 of the
56 contributing elements of the historic district. The remaining
buildings and structures would be incorporated into the Fort Bragg
training program after mitigating for the loss of historical
[[Page 7250]]
integrity by fulfilling all requirements under the National Historical
Preservation Act (NEPA), the Fort Bragg Integrated Cultural Resource
Management Plan (ICRMP) and Army Regulation 200-4, Cultural Resources
Management.
Alternative 3--Intermediate training, additional recreation, and
adaptive reuse and/or layaway of selected contributing elements within
the District. Under this alternative, the level of activity on the
Overhills would be increased to accommodate battalion-sized units
(approximately 1,000 personnel), plus support personnel. Training would
occur in accordance with the IRR. There are 40 battalions at Fort
Bragg. Battalion-size field exercises typically use 75 or fewer
vehicles per exercise, including support vehicles. Each battalion holds
one or two 3-day field exercises per year. Movement between NTA units
I-IV and Overhills (NTA V-VIII) would be fluid with no training
restrictions other than the number of personnel permitted on the
Overhills.
Additional recreation would consist of the youth golf and horse
stables programs described for Alternative 2. Hunting and fishing would
continue to be permitted, as discussed in Alternative 1. This
alternative would treat the District as discussed under Alternative 2.
Alternative 4 (Preferred Alternative)--Maximum training, existing
recreation, and no preservation of the District. Under this
alternative, the level of training would be increased to accommodate
brigade-sized units; the Overhills would be fully incorporated into the
installation's training program, and used in the same manner as the
other training areas on Fort Bragg. Units up to, and including brigade
size, would train in accordance with the IRR. Up to approximately 5,000
personnel would have access to the Overhills for training purposes at
one time.
No additional recreational use of the Overhills would occur under
maximum training due to the need for maneuver frontage and flexibility.
Hunting and fishing would continue as discussed under Alternative 1.
After mitigating for the loss of historical integrity by
fulfillment of all legal requirements under the NHPA, the Fort Bragg
ICRMP, and AR 200-4, Cultural Resources Management, the 56 contributing
elements would be integrated into the training program. All
contributing and non-contributing elements as well as standing
structures determined not eligible for the NRHP would be evaluated for
use in training exercises. The buildings that could be incorporated
into the training program would remain; the non-essential buildings and
structures would be demolished.
The Overhills DEIS provides an analysis of both the beneficial and
adverse environmental impacts of the different use alternatives for the
Overhills, and analyzes quantitatively and qualitatively the potential
environmental impacts of the proposed alternatives. The resource areas
discussed and evaluated are: soils, surface waters, groundwater,
wetlands, vegetation, wildlife, protected species, hazardous materials/
waste management, solid waste management, air quality, noise, safety,
land use, demographics and economy, recreation, archaeological
resources, and the historic district. The DEIS indicates that
Alternative 1 (No Action) has the fewest potential impacts because no
new training types will be added, and all of the historic buildings and
structures will be preserved. Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 would have some
potential adverse impacts to several of the analyzed resources; however
mitigations to reduce those impacts are identified in the DEIS.
Scoping and Comments: Fort Bragg has distributed a series of
newsletters that are also posted on the Fort Bragg website and may be
viewed at http://www.bragg.army.mil/envbr_review.htm. All future
newsletters, notices of meetings, and other public and stakeholder
participation opportunities will also be posted on this website.
Comments or questions may also be submitted on this website. Fort Bragg
invites individuals and organizations to participate in the DEIS review
process by submitting written comments (see ADDESSES) and by attending
a public meeting. A public meeting will be held at the Cumberland
County Library and Information Center (see DATES).
Dan K. McNeill,
General, USA, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 05-2697 Filed 2-10-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-M