Notice of Intent To Prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact Statement for Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR) Renewal, Nevada

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27054-27055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13448]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact 
Statement for Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR) Renewal, Nevada

    The United States Air Force (Air Force) will prepare a legislative 
environmental impact statement (LEIS) to assess the potential 
environmental impacts of renewal of the Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR), 
Nevada. The LEIS

[[Page 27055]]

will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA).
    The current land withdrawal and reservation of the NAFR was 
established by the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-
606) for the period ending on November 6, 2001. The Act provides that 
the Air Force may seek renewal of the NAFR withdrawal, in connection 
with which the Secretary of the Air Force will publish a legislative 
EIS addressing legislative alternatives and the effects of continued 
withdrawal.
    The purpose of the proposed NAFR renewal is to retain a military 
training and testing range essential to near- and long-term 
preparedness of United States air forces. Renewing the land withdrawal 
will provide for the continued effective implementation of ongoing 
training and testing missions while maintaining the flexibility to 
adapt to the training needs of new technologies as they develop. The 
performance of air operations in combat is directly related to the 
quality and depth of training. NAFR provides a combination of 
attributes that serve this training requirement, including the 
following: favorable location and flying weather; sufficient land and 
airspace; diverse terrain; and developed training support facilities.
    A range of alternatives, including the No Action alternative 
required by NEPA, will be considered. Three alternatives are described 
below.
    •  Proposed Action: Renew Nellis Air Force Range withdrawal 
and reservation for an indefinite period of time with Congressional 
review every 15 years. The existing land withdrawal and reservation, 
consisting of approximately 3.0 million acres, would be reauthorized 
for an indefinite period of time. The land would be reserved by 
Congress for use by the Air Force for an armament and high-hazard test 
area; training for aerial gunnery, rocketry, electronic warfare, and 
tactical maneuvering and air support; and other defense-related 
purposes. Every 15 years Congress would review the Air Force's 
continuing military need for the land, the environmental effects, and 
the needs of competing uses for the land and could adjust, if 
warranted, the terms and conditions of the withdrawal. Without limiting 
the priority use by the Air Force, the land would be managed in part by 
the Bureau of Land Management and in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. Specifically, the Bureau of Land Management would manage 
approximately 2.2 million acres of the NAFR pursuant to the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and other applicable laws. The 
remaining 826,000 acres of the NAFR are within the Desert National 
Wildlife Refuge and would be managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service 
pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1976.
    •  Alternative A: Renew the existing NAFR land withdrawal and 
reservation for 25 years. The existing land withdrawal and reservation, 
consisting of approximately 3.0 million acres, would be reauthorized 
for a specified term of 25 years, rather than for an indefinite time 
with periodic reviews. Otherwise, this alternative is like the Proposed 
Action.
    •  No Action Alternative: No renewal of the NAFR land 
withdrawal and reservation. The land would not be reserved for use by 
the Air Force. The lands within the existing NAFR boundary would be 
managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife 
Service under existing authorities. The No Action alternative would 
result in the fragmentation or cancellation of training missions 
accomplished at the NAFR. DOD would prepare appropriate environmental 
documentation to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approval to 
reclassify the existing restricted airspace to a Military Operation 
Area (MOA). This would allow for air-to-air training operations to 
continue, but would preclude air-to-ground training missions.
    To provide a forum for interested parties to provide comments on 
the scope of the LEIS, a series of scoping meetings will be held in six 
Nevada communities. In addition, written comments will be accepted 
throughout the scoping period. Written comments should be forwarded to 
the address below by August 5, 1996. Scoping meetings will be held at 
the following times and locations.
    1. Indian Springs, NV, June 17, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    2. Caliente, NV, June 18, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    3. Las Vegas, NV, June 20, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    4. Beatty, NV, June 24, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    5. Tonopah, NV, June 25, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    6. Reno, NV, June 26, 1996, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
    Please direct written comments concerning the NAFR Renewal LEIS to: 
Colonel Michael F. Fuquy, Nellis Air Force Base, P.O. Box 9919, Las 
Vegas, NV 89191-0919.
    If you have any questions or require additional information, please 
contact Major Jeff Shea at (702) 652-4354.
Patsy J. Conner,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-13448 Filed 5-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3910-01-W