Notice2026-00146
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Regional Special Activity Airspace Optimization Program
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
January 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Defense DepartmentAir Force Department
Abstract
The Department of the Air Force (DAF), in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with optimization of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC).The Department of the Army and Department of the Navy are also cooperating agencies. The DAF is requesting the public participate in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process by providing comments on the alternatives and information, studies, or analysis relevant to the Proposed Action. The Unique Identification Number for this EIS is EISX-007-57-UAF- 1756971595.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 702-703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00146]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Regional Special Activity Airspace
Optimization Program
AGENCY: Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force (DAF), in cooperation with the
Federal Aviation Administration, is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI)
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the
potential social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with
optimization of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC).The
Department of the Army and Department of the Navy are also cooperating
agencies. The DAF is requesting the public participate in the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process by providing comments on
the alternatives and information, studies, or analysis relevant to the
Proposed Action. The
[[Page 703]]
Unique Identification Number for this EIS is EISX-007-57-UAF-
1756971595.
DATES: A public scoping period of 30 days will take place starting from
the date of publication of this NOI in the Federal Register. Comments
will be accepted at any time during the environmental impact analysis
process; however, to ensure DAF has sufficient time to consider public
scoping comments during preparation of the Draft EIS, please submit
comments within the defined scoping period. A schedule is provided on
the project website (<a href="http://www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com">www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com</a>) and will be updated as
the NEPA process progresses. At this time, the Draft EIS is expected to
be released early 2027 and the Final EIS and Record of Decision are
expected to be released in 2028.
DAF invites the public, stakeholders, other interested parties, and
applicable Federal State, Tribal, and local agencies and governments to
participate in a public scoping meeting. Four (4) virtual scoping
meetings are being held on the following dates and times (Alaska Time):
<bullet> Saturday, January 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
<bullet> Monday, January 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
<bullet> Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
<bullet> Thursday, January 29, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
The meetings are being advertised in 10 regional and local
newspapers and Public Notices are being sent to public schools and post
offices beneath proposed JPARC Special Activity Airspace (SAA). Please
see the project website for details on how to participate in the
virtual meetings and to view informational materials
(<a href="http://www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com">www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com</a>).
ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments can be submitted via the project
website (<a href="http://www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com">www.JPARCairspaceEIS.com</a>) or via postal mail to JPARC Airspace
EIS, c/o Stantec, 501 Butler Farm Rd., Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For inquiries regarding accommodations
under the Americans with Disabilities Act or questions regarding the
Proposed Action, scoping, and EIS development please contact Victoria
Hernandez, NEPA Project Manager at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c4d4a4f494f224f4549224d657e7f7c6d6f695b637e676a60637b4c797f226d6a22616560"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e2f282d2b2d402d272b402f071c1d1e0f0d0b39011c05080201192e1b1d400f0840030702">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone at 380-458-0359.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will analyze the potential impacts
from optimizing the regional training environment necessary for 4th and
5th Generation aircrews to accomplish current and future Tactics,
Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) within JPARC SAA by addressing
critical deficiencies in the size, dimensions, and attributes of the
SAA; spatial discontinuities between adjacent SAA sections; and
inability to perform uninterrupted flight at low altitude. The purpose
of the Proposed Action is to facilitate training that ensures increased
aircrew survivability and combat effectiveness. The need for the
Proposed Action is to address the lack of required SAA at JPARC to
accomplish current and future TTPs driven by evolving adversary
threats.
To address the critical deficiencies and support required training,
the following actions are necessary: redesign SAA in the existing
northern JPARC, establish new SAA in the Gulf of Alaska, and establish
two new large areas of SAA in the western area of Alaska to replace the
existing, smaller fragmented SAA. DAF is considering three alternatives
to implement the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. All of
the action alternatives include several specific actions to expand and
redesign the North JPARC SAA and establish new SAA over the Gulf of
Alaska to include two Warning Areas and two Military Operations Areas
(MOAs) along with associated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace
(ATCAAs). Each action alternative also includes establishing two new
large West complexes that would each include an MOA and associated
ATCAAs, but they vary by location: Neacola and Yeti (Alternative 1),
Bettles and Yeti (Alternative 2), and Neacola and Tanana (Alternative
3).
For the No Action Alternative, DAF would not implement changes to
the current JPARC airspace structure. Use of the JPARC for day-to-day
training and MFEs would continue as it does currently.
The DAF and Cooperating Agencies will consider comments on
alternatives or effects and on relevant information, studies, or
analyses with respect to the Proposed Action. The Draft EIS will
include an analysis of the potential impacts to the human environment
such as ecological, aesthetic, historic, cultural, economic (such as
the effects on employment), social, or health effects, to include
noise, airspace management, air quality, and biological resources.
Crystle C. Poge,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-00146 Filed 1-7-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3911-44-P
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