Notice2023-25978
Notice of Availability; Adoption of the United States Air Force's Final Environmental Impact Statement-Airspace Optimization for Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and the Record of Decision for Federal Aviation Administration Actions
Primary source
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Published
November 24, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA announces its decision to adopt the USAF FEIS-- Airspace Optimization for Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base (MHAFB), Mountain Home, Idaho. Based on its independent review and evaluation of the FEIS and supporting documents, the FAA is adopting the FEIS and issuing a ROD for the modification of special use airspace (SUA) at the Mountain Home Range Complex (MHRC).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 225 (Friday, November 24, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82496-82497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25978]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket: FAA-2023-2249]
Notice of Availability; Adoption of the United States Air Force's
Final Environmental Impact Statement--Airspace Optimization for
Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and the Record of
Decision for Federal Aviation Administration Actions
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) for the adoption of the United
States Air Force (USAF) final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and
FAA's record of decision (ROD).
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SUMMARY: The FAA announces its decision to adopt the USAF FEIS--
Airspace Optimization for Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base
(MHAFB), Mountain Home, Idaho. Based on its independent review and
evaluation of the FEIS and supporting documents, the FAA is adopting
the FEIS and issuing a ROD for the modification of special use airspace
(SUA) at the Mountain Home Range Complex (MHRC).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lonnie Covalt, Operations Support
Group, Western Service Center, 2200 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198;
telephone (206) 231-3998.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
As described in the FEIS, the Proposed Action consists of USAF
military flight training operations at low altitudes in the Paradise
North Military Operations Area (MOA), Paradise South MOA, Owyhee South
MOA, and Jarbidge South MOA. USAF would conduct supersonic operations
at lower altitudes within the same four MOAs. To accommodate the
Proposed Action, the FAA would modify SUA to ensure safe operations
continue within the National Airspace System and allow for optimized
airspace at the MHRC.
The MHRC and the SUA associated with MHAFB provide airspace for
combat air power and combat support training to U.S. forces--and its
allies--and support unit-level and larger force combat skills training.
In addition, mission activities such as search and rescue training,
survival training, convoy escort training, and ground-based air defense
radio detection and ranging (radar) threat simulation occur on the land
areas of the MHRC. The airspace and ranges primarily support Idaho-
based units from MHAFB Air National Guard units from Gowen Field in
Boise, Idaho, in addition to other USAF and Department of Defense
(DoD)-approved users. The MHRC SUA consists of six MOAs and two
Restricted Areas (RA) with associated ranges for inert weapons use. The
airspace overlies portions of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) underwent a 109-day
public comment period from July 9, 2021, to October 25, 2021, and there
were 2,894 comment letters (not including duplicate submittals)
submitted during the public comment period via mail, email, written at
public hearings, verbal at public hearings, and the public website. A
summary of the DEIS public involvement, agency coordination, and tribal
consultation is contained in the FEIS. The FAA circularized the
aeronautical proposal. The FEIS was made available to the public for 30
days on March 3, 2023, through a NOA in the Federal Register (88 FR
13443). The USAF issued their ROD on July 14, 2023, and a NOA of USAF's
ROD was published in the Federal Register on August 2, 2023 (88 FR
50849).
Implementation
After evaluating the aeronautical study and the FEIS, the FAA has
issued a ROD for the requested SUA. The Proposed Action consists of
changes to lower the altitude of the floors within the MHAFB Military
Operations Areas (MOA) of Paradise North MOA, Paradise South MOA,
Owyhee South MOA, and Jarbidge South MOA. The designated altitudes are
at 100 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL) up to 17,999 ft mean sea
level (MSL). The times of use are between 0730-2200 mountain time,
Monday through Friday; other times by Notice of Air Missions (NOTAM)
expected use is estimated to be 260 days per year, 12 hours per day.
The legal descriptions for the modified MOAs will be published in the
National Flight Data Digest.
In accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ)
regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and other
applicable authorities (including FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental
Impacts: Policies and Procedures, paragraph 8-2, and FAA Order JO
7400.2P, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters, paragraph 32-2-3),
the FAA has conducted an independent review and evaluation of the USAF
FEIS. As a cooperating agency with responsibility for approving SUA
under 49 U.S.C.
[[Page 82497]]
40103(b)(3)(A), the FAA provided subject matter expertise and
coordinated with the USAF during the environmental review process.
The FAA signed the ROD on [November 17, 2023]. The ROD is available
on the FAA website at: <a href="https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/environmental_issues">https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/environmental_issues</a>.
Issued in Des Moines, WA, on November 17, 2023.
Lonnie Covalt,
Lead Environmental Protection Specialist, Operations Support Group,
Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2023-25978 Filed 11-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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