Notice2021-20661
Legislative Environmental Impact Statement Addressing Land Withdrawal Extension at Fort Wainwright, Alaska
Primary source
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Published
September 24, 2021
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentArmy Department
Abstract
The Department of the Army (Army) announces its intent to conduct public scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and solicit public comments to gather information to prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) to address continued military use of the Yukon Training Area, near Fort Wainwright, and Donnelly Training Area East and Donnelly Training Area West, near Delta Junction, Alaska. The scoping process will help identify reasonable alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key issues of concern to be evaluated in the LEIS. Information presented in the LEIS will inform proposed legislation presented to Congress and ultimately Congress's decision regarding the proposed action. The current land withdrawal will expire on November 6, 2026, unless Congress enacts legislation to extend it. The Army is requesting identification of potential alternatives, information sources, and analysis relevant to the proposed action. The scoping period will last 30 days and will include a virtual public meeting.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53038-53039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20661]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Legislative Environmental Impact Statement Addressing Land
Withdrawal Extension at Fort Wainwright, Alaska
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces its intent to
conduct public scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and solicit public comments to gather information to prepare a
Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) to address continued
military use of the Yukon Training Area, near Fort Wainwright, and
Donnelly Training Area East and Donnelly Training Area West, near Delta
Junction, Alaska. The scoping process will help identify reasonable
alternatives, potential environmental impacts, and key issues of
concern to be evaluated in the LEIS. Information presented in the LEIS
will inform proposed legislation presented to Congress and ultimately
Congress's decision regarding the proposed action. The current land
withdrawal will expire on November 6, 2026, unless Congress enacts
legislation to extend it. The Army is requesting identification of
potential alternatives, information sources, and analysis relevant to
the proposed action. The scoping period will last 30 days and will
include a virtual public meeting.
DATES: Comments must be received by October 25, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments to Laura Sample, NEPA Program
Manager at: Directorate of Public Works, ATTN: AMIM-AKP-E (L. Sample),
1046 Marks Road #4500, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703-4500, email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dca9afbdaeb1a5f2abbdb5b2abaeb5bbb4a8f2b5b8f1acbdbfb5bab5bff2b1bea4f2b0abb9f1b0b9b5af9cb1bdb5b0f2b1b5b0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="67121406150a1e4910060e0910150e000f13490e034a1706040e010e04490a051f490b10024a0b020e14270a060e0b490a0e0b">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Grant Sattler, Public
Affairs Office, AMIM-AKG-PA (Sattler), 1060 Gaffney Road #5900, Fort
Wainwright, AK 99703-5900; telephone (907) 353-6701; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2a4b464b44044d04594b5e5e464f580449435c6a474b434604474346"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4d5d8d5da9ad39ac7d5c0c0d8d1c69ad7ddc2f4d9d5ddd89ad9ddd8">[email protected]</span></a>
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October 1999 Congress, through the
Military Lands Withdrawal Act (Pub. L. [Pub. L.] 106-65), withdrew
869,862 acres of public land comprising Yukon Training Area, Donnelly
Training Area East, and Donnelly Training Area West from all forms of
appropriation under public land laws and reserved them for use by the
Army. The withdrawal extended to November 6, 2026. The Army has
determined there is a continuing military need for this land and is
requesting to extend its use of the three training areas, which remain
officially under the management of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM).
The Engle Act (Pub. L. 85-337, 43 United States Code Sec. 155ff)
requires land withdrawals in excess of 5,000 acres be authorized by
Congress through legislation. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
has authority to process federal land withdrawal applications (43 Code
of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 2300). The Military Lands Withdrawal
Act requires the Army to notify the Secretary of the Interior and
Congress whether there is a continuing military need of the withdrawn
land. Subsequently, the Army and DOI shall submit a legislative
proposal for the proposed action to Congress not later than May 1,
2025. The BLM, a subordinate agency within the DOI, has agreed to
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the LEIS as
part of the legislative proposal.
Fort Wainwright, Alaska is in the interior of Alaska in the
Fairbanks North Star Borough and is home to the U.S. Army Garrison
Alaska and units of U.S. Army Alaska. The Yukon Training Area covers
approximately 246,277 acres and is located approximately 16 miles east-
southeast of Fairbanks and immediately east of Eielson Air Force Base.
Donnelly Training Areas East and West are located near Fort Greely in
the Tanana River valley in central Alaska approximately 80 miles
southeast from Fort Wainwright, near the city of Delta Junction in the
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. Donnelly Training Area East is
approximately 51,590 acres and Donnelly Training Area West is
approximately 571,995 acres.
The purpose of the proposed action is to obtain an extension of the
land withdrawal of the three training areas for 25 years or more, or
have the land assigned to the control of the Secretary of the Army
until such time as the Army determines it no longer needs the land for
military purposes. The Army requires the continued use of the training
areas on withdrawn land to execute and fulfill its mission in Alaska.
Access to the withdrawn land enables the Army to produce a force
trained to mobilize, deploy, fight, and win anywhere in the world. Army
training conditions must match or closely resemble all possible
environments throughout the world, including arctic and subarctic
conditions. In addition to Army training needs, the U.S. Air Force
plans, conducts, and coordinates air operations in the restricted
airspace over the withdrawn land.
To understand the environmental consequences of the decision to be
made, the LEIS will evaluate the reasonably foreseeable effects
resulting from the project alternatives. Alternatives to be considered
include (1) extending the land withdrawal for 25 years or more, or
assigning control of the land to the Secretary of the Army until such
time as the Army determines it no longer needs the land for military
purposes, and (2) a No Action alternative, under which the withdrawal
would not be extended and uncontaminated portions of the withdrawn land
would be returned to the management of the DOI. Other reasonable
alternatives raised during the scoping process and capable of meeting
the project's purpose and need may be considered for evaluation in the
LEIS.
The Army will analyze potential impacts for the following resource
areas: Recreational uses of the withdrawn land; subsistence uses
according to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Section 810; air quality; noise; soil; water quality; wildlife; timber
management; archaeological sites and districts; traffic and
transportation; and hazardous materials. The LEIS will also identify
mitigation measures that would reduce or eliminate adverse impacts. The
environmental analysis will include consultation with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the Alaska State Historic Preservation Office and
other
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Federal, state, and tribal entities. Significant impacts may include
economic impacts to the communities of Delta Junction and Fairbanks,
recreational and military use of airspace, including currently
restricted airspace, utilities and infrastructure, and hazardous and
toxic materials and waste.
Following the 30-day scoping period, and after consideration of
comments received during scoping, the Army will prepare a Draft LEIS.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce the availability
of the Draft LEIS in the Federal Register. The Army will also announce
the release of the Draft LEIS in local media outlets, kicking off a
public comment period during which it will hold public meetings. In
accordance with 40 CFR 1506.8 a Final LEIS is not required for the
legislative EIS process, and it will not be prepared for this action.
Public comments on the Draft LEIS will be submitted as part of the
legislative proposal.
Federal, state, and local agencies, Alaska Native tribes, Alaska
Native tribal organizations, and the public are invited to be involved
in the scoping process for the preparation of this LEIS by
participating in a scoping meeting and submitting written comments. To
assist the Army in the development of this LEIS, the Army encourages
submission of comments on potential alternatives, potential
environmental impacts, information, and analyses relevant to the
proposed action. Written comments must be sent within 30 days of
publication of this Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. In the
interest of public health, scoping meetings will be held in a virtual
environment and the date(s) will be posted online at <a href="https://home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fort-wainwright/NEPA">https://home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fort-wainwright/NEPA</a>. Date(s) and
time(s) for the public meeting will also be advertised in local area
newspapers.
The Draft LEIS is anticipated to be published in summer 2022. The
decision for this action will be made by Congress.
James W. Satterwhite Jr.,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-20661 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5061-AP-P
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