[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 13264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5896]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Training Land
Acquisition at Fort Polk, LA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army has prepared an FEIS that analyzes
environmental and socioeconomic impacts connected with the proposed
acquisition (hereinafter to mean including purchase and lease) and use
of up to 100,000 additional acres of commercial and private lands for
training in the vicinity of Fort Polk, Louisiana. This Proposed Action
to acquire additional lands supports the training requirements of the
Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and Fort Polk's current and
future resident units. The FEIS analyzes three alternatives that are
deemed feasible and meet the purpose and need for this Proposed Action.
DATES: The waiting period will end 30 days after the publication of a
notice of availability in the Federal Register by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: To request a copy of the FEIS contact Ms. Susan Walker, Fort
Polk Public Affairs Office (PAO) at 7073 Radio Road, Fort Polk, LA
71459-5342.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Walker at (337) 531-9125
during normal business hours from 9AM to 5PM CST or e-mail
[email protected] for specific questions regarding the
FEIS.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fort Polk, located in west-central
Louisiana, Is one of the Army's premier power projection platforms and
also the home of the JRTC. Fort Polk is currently comprised of
approximately 198,130 acres of U.S. Army-owned land and lands utilized
under a special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service. In order to
improve and enhance the training of Fort Polk's units and the JRTC, the
Army has proposed to acquire up to 100,000 acres of additional land.
Additional training lands will allow Soldiers of the JRTC to train on
brigade-level combat maneuver training tasks while simultaneously
allowing Fort Polk's resident units to conduct maneuver and live-fire
training. This additional land will enhance training for Fort Polk
units and units deploying to JRTC, will reduce the need for training
work arounds, and will allow Soldiers to train to more realistic
standards in preparation for operational deployment.
The Fort Polk FEIS analyzes the environmental and socioeconomic
impacts of several acquisition location alternatives, each of which
could include the acquisition of up to 100,000 acres of land.
Alternative I considers 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 considers the acquisition of the land
considered in Alternative 1, and, in addition, considers the
acquisition of parcels that connect Peason Ridge with Fort Polk's main
post. Alternative 3 has been designated by the Army as the Preferred
Alternative. Alternative 3 considers the acquisition of those lands
considered in Alternative 2, and, in addition, considers the
acquisition of lands to the east of Fort Polk in Rapides Parish. The
FEIS also analyzes the No Action Alternative, which evaluates the
impacts of taking no action to acquire or use additional training land
around Fort Polk.
The Army has determined that significant impacts may possibly occur
in regard to land use and noise for each of the three alternatives
being considered. The Army projects that moderate impacts would occur
to soil resources, water resources, wetlands, biological resources,
cultural resources, and socio-economics as a result of implementing the
Proposed Action. Substantive compliance with the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) will be accomplished through adherence to the
Installation Cultural Resource Management Plan (ICRMP), which together
with the FEIS outline cultural resource management practices that would
be applied to newly acquired lands. Compliance with Section 106 of the
NHPA is being accomplished as part of this EIS process.
A copy of the FEIS is available at http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/LandPurchase/index.html.
Dated: March 5, 2010.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 2010-5896 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
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