[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 246 (Thursday, December 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80798-80799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32176]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PEIS) for Land Acquisition, South Texas Training Center
(STTC), in McMullen County, TX
AGENCY: National Guard Bureau, Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army intends to prepare a PEIS to
analyze the environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with the
proposed land acquisition and use of approximately 22,232 acres for
implementation of an RPMP and mission activities in south Texas. The
proposed land area, currently in private ownership, would become the
STTC. This action will support the training requirements of the TXARNG
units located in central and south Texas. The PEIS will analyze
alternatives that are deemed feasible to meet the purpose and need for
this Proposed Action.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Captain Jeff Basa at (512) 782-7924 or
by e-mail at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Army has identified the need for land
acquisition and use of approximately 22,232 acres of land to enhance
realistic training conditions. No adequate maneuver training land is
currently available within a suitable travel time for the three TXARNG
Battalions stationed in south Texas. The Army proposes land acquisition
of approximately 22,232 acres for additional maneuver training land to
meet the training needs of the TXARNG. This additional land will
enhance training and will allow Soldiers to train to more realistic
standards in preparation for operational deployment at a site located
closer to their home communities. The Army Training Division, National
Guard Bureau, is the action proponent; the land would be owned by the
Army and licensed to the TXARNG.
The TXARNG PEIS will analyze the environmental and socioeconomic
impacts of land acquisition to establish the STTC. The land acquisition
alternative is located adjacent to and northeast of the existing U.S.
Navy-owned Dixie Range in McMullen County. A PEIS is proposed for this
analysis to address the implementation of the RPMP, which would consist
of a number of construction phases to be implemented over an extended
timeframe (estimated 15 to 20 years). This PEIS would analyze the
general development of a cantonment area, training areas, and
infrastructure support. Separate environmental analyses may be required
at a later date, as necessary, for development not covered within this
PEIS. The Army No Action Alternative will evaluate the impacts of
taking no action to acquire additional training land. Resources and
issues that will be evaluated in the PEIS include changes in land use
from private hunting lands to military training lands; potential
impacts to biological, cultural, and water resources; changes in
transportation and traffic in the region. At this point, we do not
anticipate any significant impacts. Additional concerns raised during
the initial public involvement process will also be addressed in the
PEIS.
The Notice of Intent can be viewed at http://www.agd.state.tx.us.
Scoping and Public Comment: Federally recognized tribes, federal,
state, and local agencies, and the public are invited to participate in
the scoping process for the preparation of the PEIS. The scoping
process will include one public scoping meeting, which is an
opportunity for the public to receive information about the proposed
action and alternatives and to assist the Army in identifying potential
environmental impacts and key issues of concern to be analyzed in the
PEIS. The meeting will be held in McMullen County, Texas. Notification
of the time and location for the scoping meeting will be announced in
local media sources. To ensure scoping comments are fully considered in
the preparation of the PEIS, comments and suggestions should be
received within the 30-day scoping period. The public will also be
invited to review and comment on the Draft PEIS when it is available
for review. Notification letters will be mailed to Native American
tribes, federal, state, and local agencies regarding the scoping
process and Draft PEIS availability. A public meeting will take place
during the comment period on the Draft PEIS and the public will be
invited to share their views and concerns. Comments from the public
will be considered before any decision is made regarding implementing
the proposed action.
Dated: December 13, 2010.
Hershell E. Wolfe,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-32176 Filed 12-22-10; 8:45 am]
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