[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27996-27997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12014]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Training Land Acquisition
(Including Purchase and Lease) at Fort Polk, LA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA).
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army announces the availability of its
ROD which summarizes and documents its decision to proceed with
Alternative 3, the acquisition of up to 100,000 acres of additional
training land in Vernon and Rapides Parrish in the areas South of
Peason Ridge, and to the North and East of Fort Polk's existing
training lands. The decision considers the Army's mission requirements
at Fort Polk and the environmental analysis contained in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Training Land Acquisition at
Fort Polk, Louisiana (March 2009). The ROD describes the Army's
decision to proceed with Alternative 3. This decision provides the Army
with the most options and best opportunities to meet Fort Polk and the
Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) training needs and is also the
environmentally preferred alternative.
ADDRESSES: For questions regarding the ROD, please contact Ms. Susan
Walker, Fort Polk Public Affairs Office (PAO), 7033 Magnolia Road, Fort
Polk, LA 71459-5342. A copy of the FEIS and ROD are available at the
following Web site: http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/LandPurchase/index.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Walker at (337) 531-9125
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fort Polk FEIS analyzed the
environmental, cultural and socioeconomic impacts of several
acquisition location alternatives, each of which included the
acquisition of up to 100,000 acres of land. Alternative 1 considered
the acquisition of lands directly adjacent to Fort Polk's existing
training areas to the south of Peason Ridge and directly north and east
of the main post. As part of Alternative 1, units would continue to
lease lands to convoy to Peason Ridge to access training areas.
Alternative 2 considered the acquisition of the land considered in
Alternative 1, and, in addition, considered the acquisition of parcels
that connect Peason Ridge with Fort Polk's main post. Alternative 3,
the Preferred Alternative and selected alternative, considered the
acquisition of those lands considered in Alternative 2, and the
acquisition of lands to the east of Fort Polk in Rapides Parish. The
FEIS also analyzed the No Action Alternative, which evaluates the
impacts of taking no action to acquire or use additional training land
around Fort Polk. Under the No Action alternative, the purpose and need
for the proposed action would not be met.
Alternative 3 has been selected by the Army because it has the most
potential to allow the Army to acquire adequate maneuver training land
to support the training requirements of the JRTC and Fort Polk's
resident units. Alternative 3 provides the best opportunities for the
Army to acquire new lands that are compatible with Fort Polk's training
needs, and the implementation of this alternative will reduce future
potential training land use conflicts between JRTC and Fort Polk's
resident units. The implementation of Alternative 3 will also attenuate
adverse environmental impacts over a broader area and will ensure a
greater amount of land is actively managed to promote increased
sustainability and reduce environmental impacts.
In making its decision, the Army has determined that significant
environmental impacts may occur from the selected alternative with
regard to changes in land use and potentially from noise depending on
which lands are eventually acquired as part of this decision. In
addition to these potentially significant impacts, the Army anticipates
that moderate impacts to soil resources, water resources, wetlands,
biological resources, cultural resources, and socioeconomics would
occur as a result of implementing the Proposed Action. To mitigate
potential impacts, the Army will survey new lands for cultural and
natural resources prior to training and will manage training activities
to reduce noise impacts. The Army will provide recreational/hunting
access to new lands to the extent practicable and will bring new lands
under the framework of the installation's existing environmental
management programs. Substantive compliance with the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) will be accomplished through adherence to the
Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan, which, together with the
FEIS, outline cultural resource management practices that would be
[[Page 27997]]
applied to newly acquired lands. Compliance with Section 106 of the
NHPA is being accomplished as part of this EIS process.
Dated: May 12, 2010.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-12014 Filed 5-18-10; 8:45 am]
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