Notice2025-06686
Final Environmental Impact Statement for Army Training Land Retention at Pōhakuloa Training Area in Hawai'i (ID #EISX-007-21-001-1734439520)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentArmy Department
Abstract
The Department of the Army (Army) announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) regarding its proposed action to retain up to approximately 22,750 acres of the 23,000 acres of land the Army currently leases from the State of Hawai[revaps]i ("State-owned land") at P[omacr]hakuloa Training Area (PTA) on the island of Hawai`i. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Hawai`i Environmental Policy Act (HEPA), the Final EIS analyzes the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of a range of reasonable alternatives that meet the purpose of and need for the proposed action. Because the proposed action involves State-owned land, the EIS is a joint NEPA-HEPA document that meets both NEPA and HEPA requirements. The Army will observe a 30- day waiting period before deciding how much land, if any, it will seek to retain.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 74 (Friday, April 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 74 (Friday, April 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16514-16515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06686]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Final Environmental Impact Statement for Army Training Land
Retention at P[omacr]hakuloa Training Area in Hawai[revaps]i (ID #EISX-
007-21-001-1734439520)
AGENCY: Department of the Army, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army (Army) announces the availability
of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) regarding its
proposed action to retain up to approximately 22,750 acres of the
23,000 acres of land the Army currently leases from the State of
Hawai[revaps]i (``State-owned land'') at P[omacr]hakuloa Training Area
(PTA) on the island of Hawai`i. In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Hawai`i Environmental Policy
Act (HEPA), the Final EIS analyzes the potential direct, indirect, and
cumulative impacts of a range of reasonable alternatives that meet the
purpose of and need for the proposed action. Because the proposed
action involves State-owned land, the EIS is a joint NEPA-HEPA document
that meets both NEPA and HEPA requirements. The Army will observe a 30-
day waiting period before deciding how much land, if any, it will seek
to retain.
DATES: The waiting period for the Final EIS will end 30 days after
publication of this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at which time the Army can
execute a Record of Decision.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and informational materials are available on
the EIS website at: <a href="https://home.army.mil/hawaii/ptaeis/project-home">https://home.army.mil/hawaii/ptaeis/project-home</a>.
The public may also review the Final EIS and select materials at the
following libraries:
1. Hawai[revaps]i State Library, Hawai[revaps]i Documents Center, 478
S. King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
2. Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720
3. Kailua-Kona Public Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI
96740
4. Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library, 67-1209 Mamalahoa
Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Army Garrison Hawai[revaps]i, Mr.
Michael Donnelly, Public Affairs Office, by telephone at (808) 787-2140
or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f7828496859a8ed99f9680969e9ed999928796b796859a8ed99a9e9b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd888e9c8f9084d3959c8a9c9494d393988d9cbd9c8f9084d3909491">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps
trained on the land now known as PTA. A 1956 maneuver agreement between
the Territory of Hawai[revaps]i and the Army formally established PTA.
In 1964, the State of Hawai[revaps]i granted the Army a 65-year lease
of approximately 23,000 acres of land for military purposes. The State-
owned land now contains utilities, critical infrastructure, maneuver
area, and key training facilities, some of which are unavailable
elsewhere in Hawai[revaps]i. The parcel also allows access between the
PTA cantonment area and approximately 84,000 acres of adjacent,
federally owned land at PTA. The Army published a Draft EIS on April 8,
2022, and a Second Draft EIS on April 19, 2024. Native Hawaiian
Organizations, federal, state, and local agencies and officials, and
other stakeholders were invited to participate in the public comment
processes for the Draft EIS and Second Draft EIS. The Army held two
public meetings each for the Draft EIS and Second Draft EIS. Comments
and
[[Page 16515]]
responses to comments are included in the Final EIS.
The Final EIS evaluates the potential impacts of a range of
reasonable alternatives: (1) Maximum Retention (of approximately 22,750
acres); (2) Modified Retention (of approximately 19,700 acres); and (3)
Minimum Retention and Access (of approximately 10,100 acres and 11
miles of roads and training trails). The Final EIS also analyzes the
potential impacts of the No-Action Alternative, under which Army use of
the land would cease altogether when the lease expires in 2029. The
Army has identified Alternative 2, Modified Retention, as the Preferred
Alternative. To meet the mission of the Army, The Army based its
preference on the ability of the alternative, as well as on public
comments and environmental, social, technical, and economic
considerations.
The Final EIS analyzes land use; biological resources; historic and
cultural resources and cultural practices; hazardous substances and
hazardous wastes; air quality and greenhouse gases; noise; geology,
topography, and soils; water resources; socioeconomics; environmental
justice; transportation and traffic; airspace; electromagnetic
spectrum; utilities; and human health and safety.
The air quality, greenhouse gas, and environmental justice analyses
were prepared according to now-rescinded Executive Orders, the Council
on Environmental Quality's NEPA implementing regulations, which are in
the process of being rescinded, and the Army's NEPA implementing
regulations, which are now under revision. Because analysis regarding
air quality, greenhouse gases, and environmental justice was already
provided to the public for comment, such analysis is included in the
Final EIS.
The Final EIS indicates that under Alternatives 1, 2, and 3,
significant adverse impacts could occur on land use (land tenure),
biological resources, cultural practices, and environmental justice.
The Army has identified measures in the Final EIS to mitigate these
adverse impacts.
The No-Action Alternative could have significant adverse impacts on
biological resources, socioeconomics, and utilities, significant
beneficial impacts on land use, cultural practices, and environmental
justice, and less-than-significant impacts on all other resources.
The Army distributed the Final EIS to Native Hawaiian
Organizations, Federal, State, and local agencies and officials, and
other stakeholders.
James W. Satterwhite, Jr.,
U.S. Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-06686 Filed 4-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3711-CC-P
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