[Federal Register: March 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 15120-15121]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr07-60]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Renewal of Special
Use Permit for Military Activities on the De Soto National Forest and
Implementation of Installation Mission Support Activities at Camp
Shelby, MS
AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been
prepared by National Guard Bureau (NGB) and the United States
Department of Agriculture--Forest Service (USDA-FS). NGB is the lead
agency and the USDA-FS is serving as a cooperating agency in the
development of this DEIS for the renewal of the current Special Use
Permit (SUP) that authorizes military training activities at Camp
Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.
DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end 45 days after
publication of an NOA in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
ADDRESSES: Written comments or questions regarding the DEIS may be
forwarded to Major Danny Blanton, Public Affairs Officer, Joint Forces
Headquarters, Mississippi National Guard, P.O. Box 5027, Jackson, MS
39296-5027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Major Danny Blanton, Public Affairs
Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters, Mississippi National Guard, at
(601) 313-6349. The alternate point of contact for this action is
Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. Piazza, Mississippi Army National Guard,
Director Environmental Program at (610) 313-6228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This DEIS discusses in-depth two
alternatives: The Preferred Alternative and the No-Action Alternative.
Under the Preferred Alternative, the Mississippi National Guard (MSNG)
proposes the renewal of the USDA-FS SUP for a 20-year timeframe and
authorizes current activities and mission requirements to continue on
State of Mississippi, DoD, and National Forest lands. This alternative
will help meet the Army requirements associated with the Proposed
Action by constructing various new ranges and facilities at Camp Shelby
and allowing for the continuation of necessary maintenance, repair, and
rehabilitation of the infrastructure at Camp Shelby. The No Action
Alternative would authorize the renewal of the SUP for a 10-year
timeframe (same as previous SUP) and military activities would continue
as currently permitted. This alternative would not authorize the
proposed construction of new ranges and facilities and improved
management practices. Other alternatives considered but eliminated from
detailed study are addressed in the DEIS. The potential for significant
impacts exists for both alternatives, however with the implementation
of the ongoing and proposed mitigation and monitoring measures, the
unavoidable adverse impacts can be mitigated to an acceptable level.
Under the preferred
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alternative, current activities and mission requirements will continue
on State of Mississippi, DoD, and National Forest lands. This
alternative includes implementation of the projects discussed in this
DEIS, in addition to the continuation of necessary maintenance, repair,
and rehabilitation of the military training infrastructure at Camp
Shelby. Environmental consequences for the Proposed Action and No
Action Alternative, have been analyzed. The new project proposals have
the potential for the following significant adverse impacts:
(1) Direct and/or indirect effects on approximately 250 gopher
tortoise (federal threatened species) burrows;
(2) Direct and/or indirect effects on habitat for other Proposed,
Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive (PETS) species such as Louisiana
quillwort (federal endangered species), black pine snake (federal
candidate species), and other state and USDA-FS sensitive plant
species. There would be direct positive effects on the red-cockaded
woodpecker when colonies are relocated into the proposed Habitat
Management Area at some time in the future;
(3) Direct and/or indirect effects on approximately 275 acres of
wetlands (requiring fill of an estimated 20 acres of wetlands);
(4) Direct effects by removal of approximately 120 acres for pine
and hardwood forested areas;
(5) Direct effects by movement of approximately 250,000 cubic yards
of earth, and resulting direct and/or indirect effects from erosion and
sedimentation;
(6) The potential environmental impacts associated with the
Combined Arms Area (CAA) reconfiguration warrant a separate discussion.
The proposed CAA reconfiguration would result in an approximate 4,300-
acre reduction in size and the amount of unavoidable potential
significant adverse impacts associated with forest clearing/thinning
and maneuver area usage from the CAA addressed and approved for
construction in the 1994 SUP EIS. This large maneuver area is about 12
percent complete (approximately 5,000 acres) based on the 1994 design.
The MSNG and USDA-FS propose to reconfigure the CAA to reduce
environmental impacts from the original design while still meeting the
military training needs. The proposed reconfigured CAA would still
produce potential significant adverse impacts; however, it would
definitely be an improvement from an environmental standpoint over the
original plan (and within the scope of the effects analyzed and
documented in the 1994 SUP EIS). While the wetland acreage
(approximately 2,719 acres), gopher tortoise burrow numbers (3,015
burrows), and Louisiana quillwort colonies appear to be significant,
the relatively minor impacts to date on the completed portion of the
CAA places the potential effect of the reconfiguration into perspective
given the overall reduction in acreage.
Additional information on the DEIS is available at the following
Web site: http://www.ngms.state.ms.us/env/Natural%20Resources/nat_resources_06.htm
.
Dated: March 14, 2007.
Addison D. Davis, IV,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety, and
Occupational Health).
[FR Doc. 07-1571 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
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