[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 107 (Friday, June 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31770-31771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13443]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for Training Land Expansion for Fort Benning, GA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare an EIS to
analyze environmental and socioeconomic impacts connected with the
proposed acquisition of up to 82,800 additional acres of land for
training in the vicinity of Fort Benning, Georgia. The land is needed
to provide Fort Benning's Soldiers and units with the capability to
conduct realistic maneuver training exercises through the battalion
level as they train at home station to deploy to support operations
abroad. This action will also support the training requirements of the
Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE). The EIS will analyze four
alternatives that are deemed feasible and meet the purpose and need for
this Proposed Action, as well as the no action alternative of not
acquiring more training land.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be mailed to Fort Benning Public
Affairs, Attention: Mr. Bob Purtiman, Building 35, Room 375, Fort
Benning, GA 31905, or e-mailed to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Purtiman, Fort Benning
Public Affairs Office, at (706) 545-8830 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. e.d.s.t.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Benning, located in west-central
Georgia and east-central Alabama, is home to the: MCoE, including the
Infantry and Armor Schools; 3d Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry
Division; 75th Ranger Regiment; 11th Engineer Battalion; 13th Combat
Support Service Battalion; and other organizations. Fort Benning's
primary missions include supporting the training of these units in
order to provide Soldiers with the most challenging and realistic
training possible.
Fort Benning is currently comprised of approximately 182,000
contiguous acres of federally-owned land. The recently published Army
Training Strategy has placed a focus on the conduct of battalion level
maneuver training at home station for units subordinate to the Brigade
Combat Teams. To meet this training requirement at Fort Benning, the
Army has identified a need to acquire up to 82,800 acres of additional
land to enhance realistic training conditions to better meet the
training needs of the MCoE and deployable units stationed at Fort
Benning. This additional land will enhance training of the units at
Fort Benning and will allow Soldiers to train to more realistic
standards in preparation for deployment. This action will also enable
the Army to move certain Scout Leaders Course training off the current
Installation to newly acquired property to comply with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service biological opinion for the MCoE.
The alternatives being studied include lands in several distinct
study areas southeast and south of Fort Benning in Chattahoochee,
Marion, Webster, and Stewart counties in Georgia and southwest of Fort
Benning in Russell County, Alabama. The Army will also analyze the No
Action Alternative, which will evaluate the impacts of not acquiring
additional training land around Fort Benning. Resource areas which may
be impacted as a result of converting current land use to support of
military training, include air quality, traffic, noise, water
resources, biological resources, cultural resources, socioeconomics,
utilities, land use, and solid and hazardous materials/waste, as well
as cumulative environmental
[[Page 31771]]
effects. Significant impacts could occur to socio-economics and land
use.
The public is invited to participate in the scoping process, which
begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent in the Federal
Register and will last for 30 days. The scoping process will include at
least three public scoping meetings, which are opportunities for the
public to receive information about the proposed action and
alternatives, and to assist the Army in determining issues related to
the proposed acquisition to be addressed in the EIS. These meetings
will be held in communities surrounding Fort Benning and the specific
details of the meetings will be announced in local media sources. The
public will also be invited to review and comment on the Draft EIS when
it is available for review. Comments from the public will be considered
before any decision is made regarding implementing the proposed action
at Fort Benning.
Dated: May 24, 2010.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-13443 Filed 6-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P