Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative at Eglin AFB, Florida and Hurlburt Field, Florida, 69078-69080 [E9-30980]

Download as PDF 69078 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 30, 2009 / Notices review and discussion by the Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Member of the Armed Forces. Special Accommodations If special accommodations are required to attend (sign language, wheelchair accessibility) please contact Ms. Severine Bennett at (202) 374–5755 or bennett_severine@bah.com by January 1, 2010. Dated: December 24, 2009. Mitchell S. Bryman, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. E9–30946 Filed 12–29–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army [Docket ID USA–2009–0028] Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance, the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by January 29, 2010. Title, Form, and OMB Number: Corps of Engineers Civil Works Questionnaire—Generic Clearance; OMB Control Number 0710–0001. Type of Request: Revision. Number of Respondents: 185,500. Responses Per Respondent: 1. Annual Responses: 185,500. Average Burden Per Response: 7 minutes. Annual Burden Hours: 21,642 hours. Needs and Uses: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer utilizes the data collected from the questionnaire items for planning data to formulate and evaluate alternative water resources development plans, to determine the effectiveness and evaluate the impacts of Corps projects, and in the case of the flood damage mitigation, to obtain information on flood damage incurred, whether or not a project is being considered or exists. All survey questionnaires are administered either by face-to-face, mail, or telephone methods. Public surveys are used to gather data for planning and operating Corps projects and facilities and to determine public preferences and satisfaction. Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit; VerDate Nov<24>2008 19:01 Dec 29, 2009 Jkt 220001 not-for-profit institutions; farms; State, local or tribal government. Frequency: On occasion. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. OMB Desk Officer: Mr. James Laity. Written comments and recommendations on the proposed information collection should be sent to Mr. Laity at the Office of Management and Budget, Desk Officer for DoD, Room 10236, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503. You may also submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by the following method: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information. DOD Clearance Officer: Ms. Patricia Toppings. Written requests for copies of the information collection proposal should be sent to Ms. Toppings at WHS/ESD/ Information Management Division, 1777 North Kent Street, RPN, Suite 11000, Arlington, VA 22209–2133. Dated: December 24, 2009. Mitchell S. Bryman, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. E9–30929 Filed 12–29–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–06–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Availability of GovernmentOwned Inventions; Available for Licensing Department of the Navy, DoD. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: The invention listed below is assigned to the United States Government as represented by the Secretary of the Navy. U.S. Patent No. 7,233,284: Hanheld GPS jammer locator, Navy Case No. 97678. ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the inventions cited should be directed to Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Code 4L4000D, 1900 N. Knox Road Stop 6312, China Lake, CA 93555– 6106 and must include the Navy Case number. PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael D. Seltzer, Ph.D., Head, Technology Transfer Office, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Code 4L4000D, 1900 N. Knox Road Stop 6312, China Lake, CA 93555–6106, telephone 760–939–1074, FAX 760– 939–1210, E-mail: michael.seltzer@navy.mil. Authority: 35 U.S.C. 207, 37 CFR Part 404.7. Dated: December 18, 2009. A. M. Vallandingham, Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E9–30898 Filed 12–29–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative at Eglin AFB, Florida and Hurlburt Field, Florida AGENCY: United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Special Operations Command. ACTION: Notice of Intent. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 United States Code [USC] 4321–4347), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500–1508), and the United States Air Force’s (Air Force) Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP, 32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to advise the public of its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) at Eglin AFB, Florida and Hurlburt Field, Florida. This NOI describes the Air Force’s proposed alternatives, scoping process, and identifies the Air Force’s point of contact. As part of the SEIS, the Air Force will analyze potential environmental impacts associated with the alternatives for the MHPI, including a No Action Alternative. This is the fourth revision to the SEIS, which will describe the changes in the alternative development process used to identify potential parcels of land for the MHPI, consider F–35 aircraft noise profiles, identify new alternatives resulting from this process, and identify the potential impacts to the affected environment from MHPI. E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM 30DEN1 mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 30, 2009 / Notices Purpose: The purpose of this action is for the Air Force to implement the MHPI by leveraging private sector funds, expertise, and efficiency with Air Force resources (land and residences). The Air Force would ‘‘privatize’’ its military family housing assets (those currently owned and operated by the government as opposed to leased housing) to accelerate the improvement and availability of housing for military families. Proposed Action: To obtain 1,477 military family housing units through some mixture of parcels from the five alternatives listed below plus the Hurlburt Field parcels. To implement the MHPI, the Air Force’s proposed action includes the conveyance of all 1,413 existing military family housing units and infrastructure distributed among several parcels of land located on Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field to a private developer. Of the existing units, the private developer would demolish 1,404, renovate units in place, and accept the Air Force’s conveyance of nine existing historic units ‘‘as is.’’ The private developer would construct 1,477 new units (548 units for Hurlburt Field and 929 units for Eglin AFB) in phases and return nine historic units (five historic units located at Georgia Avenue on Eglin AFB and four historic units at Camp Pinchot) to the Air Force for adaptive reuse for purposes other than residential housing (e.g., offices, meeting places, etc.) once replacement units are constructed. At completion of the project, a private developer would own and operate 1,477 military family housing units (548 units for Hurlburt Field and 929 units for Eglin AFB) on behalf of the Air Force. All construction and demolition activities would occur on Air Forceowned property at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field. The Air Force would lease the real property underlying the current units to the private developer. For areas not designated for rebuilding, this lease would last only until demolition is complete or once replacement units are built (in the case of the historic units), at which time the property would be returned to the Air Force. For areas designated for rebuilding, renovation, or conveyance as is, the real property would be leased to the private developer for a period of 50 years from the date of the transaction. In addition, the existing Hurlburt Field FAMCAMP area would relocate as part of this proposed action. Alternatives: Activities described under the Proposed Action, including construction of housing on Hurlburt Field, would be common across all VerDate Nov<24>2008 19:01 Dec 29, 2009 Jkt 220001 alternatives, except the No Action Alternative. The alternatives for MHPI differ in the distribution of the housing. The following locations are being considered: Alternative 1. Crestview Park/Duke Field Area consists of two parcels totaling 567 acres. The area is located approximately one mile northwest of Duke Field, just south of the Yellow River along the northern border of the Eglin Reservation. Alternative 2. Eglin Northeast Area comprises four parcels totaling 2,458 acres. The area is located approximately one mile southeast of Mossy Head, Florida, right inside the northeastern Eglin Reservation border. Alternative 3. White Point Area comprises seven parcels totaling 416 acres. The area is located at White Point along the coastline of Choctawhatchee Bay south of Niceville, Florida, and adjacent to SR–20. Alternative 4. Eglin Main Base/ Valparaiso Area comprises eight parcels totaling 695 acres. The largest parcel (620 acres) is located in the southwest corner of Eglin Main Base adjacent to the New Plew housing area. The remaining parcels are located along the northeast border of Eglin Main Base, near the East Gate and adjacent to Valparaiso. Alternative 5. North Fort Walton Beach Area comprises five parcels totaling 457 acres with a 50 acre buffer area. Three parcels were previously identified in MHPI NEPA documentation as the ‘‘Camp Pinchot Expansion Area’’ (located adjacent to the Camp Pinchot Historic District and bordered on the west by SR–189 and the east by Garnier Bayou) and parts of the ‘‘Poquito Bayou Expansion Area’’ (located just north of the existing Poquito Bayou housing area). The remaining two parcels are located along the southern Eglin Reservation boundary in north Fort Walton Beach just north of SR–189 and adjacent to the Okaloosa County Fairgrounds. The Camp Pinchot Historic District is not included in this alternative. No Action Alternative. The Air Force would not implement the Proposed Action at Eglin or Hurlburt Field. Instead, the Air Force would continue to manage/maintain and replace/upgrade MFH in accordance with existing Air Force policy and resources. Background: This document constitutes the fourth revision of an EIS that started with a Notice of Intent in January 2004 (Federal Register/Vol. 69, No. 116, pg. 3570/January 26, 2004). The first iteration of the Draft EIS was published and released to the public in April 2005 (Federal Register/Vol. 70, PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 69079 No. 67, pg. 17994/April 8, 2005). After consideration of concerns raised during the public comment period, the Air Force issued the second iteration, the Revised Draft EIS in March 2006 (Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 62, pg. 16302/March 31, 2006), which received public and agency comments. Before the EIS was finalized, circumstances arose causing the Air Force to halt the completion of the EIS and reevaluate the Proposed Action. The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) decisions resulted in the direction to beddown the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) (i.e., the F–35 aircraft) and the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group. This BRAC directed action resulted in a planned net gain of approximately 4,000 additional military, civilian, and contractor personnel (not including family members) at Eglin AFB. As a result, the Air Force conducted a new housing requirements analysis and issued its third EIS iteration, the Supplemental Draft EIS in Aug 2008 (Federal Register/Vol. 73, No. 154, pg. 46269/August 8, 2008). The third iteration analyzed the potential consequences from housing alternatives limited exclusively to the main base areas of Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field due to a shortfall in project financials associated with hurricane-related increases in construction/insurance costs. Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope of the EIS (i.e., what will be covered and in what detail) by soliciting scoping comments from interested state and federal agencies and interested members of the public through the Federal Register and various media in the local areas of concern. Scoping comments should be submitted to the address below by the date indicated. The Air Force will also hold a series of scoping meetings to further solicit input regarding the scope of the proposed action and alternatives. DATES: Three scoping meetings will be held in the potentially impacted communities. The scheduled dates, times, locations and addresses for the meetings will be published in local media a minimum of 15 days prior to the scoping meetings. The Air Force intends to hold scoping meetings in the following communities: Crestview, FL; Ft Walton Beach, FL; and Niceville, FL. In addition to comments received at the scoping meetings, any written comments on the scope of the proposed EIS should be provided to the address below by Friday, February 1, 2010. E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM 30DEN1 69080 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 30, 2009 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mike Spaits, Eglin AFB Public Affairs Office, 101 West D Avenue, Suite 110, Eglin Air Force Base, FL 32542–5499, phone (850) 882–2836, email: mike.spaits@eglin.af.mil or check the Web site, https://www.eglin.af.mil/ housing_privatization/index.asp. Bao-Anh Trinh, YA–3, DAF, Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E9–30980 Filed 12–29–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–05–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Basing F–35A Operational Aircraft mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: United States Air Force, Air Combat Command and Air National Guard. ACTION: Notice of Intent. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508), and Air Force policy and procedures (32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to advise the public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of establishing operational F–35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft at one or more existing Air Force installations within the continental United States. The proposed basing alternatives include: Mt. Home AFB, Idaho; Hill AFB, Utah; Burlington Air Guard Station (AGS), Vermont; Shaw AFB/ McEntire Joint National Guard Base (JNGB), South Carolina (SC); and Jacksonville AGS, Florida. Each candidate base is an alternative. For Mt. Home AFB, Hill AFB, and Shaw AFB/McEntire JNGB, the potential environmental impacts will be analyzed for no action and in increments of 24 primary assigned aircraft (PAA). For Burlington AGS and Jacksonville AGS, the potential environmental impacts will be analyzed for no action and in increments of 18 and 24 primary assigned aircraft. The Air Force version of the F–35 JSF, designated F–35A, is a conventional take-off, multiple-role fighter with an emphasis on air-to-ground missions. The aircraft was designed to supplement and eventually replace legacy aircraft as VerDate Nov<24>2008 19:01 Dec 29, 2009 Jkt 220001 well as complement the air-to-air mission of the F–22A Raptor. At any of the alternative locations, the beddown action would involve personnel changes, facility construction and modifications, and aircraft operations. Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope of the EIS (i.e., what will be covered and in what detail) by soliciting scoping comments from interested state and federal agencies and interested members of the public through the Federal Register and various media in the local areas of concern. Scoping comments should be submitted to the address below by the date indicated. The Air Force will also hold a series of scoping meetings to further solicit input regarding the scope of the proposed action and alternatives. DATES: The Air Force intends to hold scoping meetings in the following communities: January 11–14, 2010 Grand View, Twin Falls, Boise, and Mt. Home Idaho; January 19–22, 2010 Ogden, Layton, Callao Utah; Wendover Nevada; January 25–28, 2010 Winooski, Vermont; Littleton, New Hampshire; Watertown, New York; February 1–4, 2010 Sumter, Eastover, and Kingstree, South Carolina; Augusta and Brunswick Georgia; February 8–12 2010 Jacksonville, Avon Park, Lake Wales and Palatka Florida. The scheduled dates, times, locations and addresses for the meetings will be published in local media a minimum of 15 days prior to the scoping meetings. All meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Comments will be accepted at any time during the environmental impact analysis process. However, to ensure the Air Force has sufficient time to consider public input in the preparation of the Draft EIS, comments should be submitted to the address below by March 1, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sheryl Parker, HQ ACC/A7PS, 129 Andrews Street, Suite 337, Langley AFB, VA 23665–2769, telephone 757/ 764–9334. Bao-Anh Trinh, YA–3, DAF, Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. E9–30671 Filed 12–29–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 5001–05–P PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Notice of Meeting AGENCY: U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, Department of the Air Force, Defense. ACTION: Meeting Notice. SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102–3.150, the Department of Defense announces that the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, at the SAF/AQ Conference and Innovation Center, 1550 Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA, 22202. The meeting will be from 8 a.m.—5 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to hold the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board quarterly meeting to discuss the FY10 Scientific Advisory Board study topics tasked by the Secretary of the Air Force and the results of the Air Force Research Laboratory Assessment. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended, and 41 CFR 102–3.155, the Administrative Assistant of the Air Force, in consultation with the Office of the Air Force General Counsel, has determined in writing that the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board meeting will be closed to the public because they will be concerned with classified information and matters covered by sections 5 U.S.C. 552b(c) (1) and (4). Any member of the public wishing to provide input to the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board should submit a written statement in accordance with 41 CFR 102–3.140(c) and section 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the procedures described in this paragraph. Written statements can be submitted to the Designated Federal Officer at the address detailed below at any time. Statements being submitted in response to the agenda mentioned in this notice must be received by the Designated Federal Officer at the address listed below at least five calendar days prior to the meeting which is the subject of this notice. Written statements received after this date may not be provided to or considered by the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board until its next meeting. The Designated Federal Officer will review all timely submissions with the United States Air E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM 30DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69078-69080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30980]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative at Eglin 
AFB, Florida and Hurlburt Field, Florida

AGENCY: United States Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force 
Special Operations Command.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA, 42 United States Code [USC] 4321-4347), the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Regulations (40 Code of Federal 
Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and the United States Air Force's 
(Air Force) Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP, 32 CFR Part 
989), the Air Force is issuing this notice to advise the public of its 
intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) 
for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) at Eglin AFB, 
Florida and Hurlburt Field, Florida.
    This NOI describes the Air Force's proposed alternatives, scoping 
process, and identifies the Air Force's point of contact. As part of 
the SEIS, the Air Force will analyze potential environmental impacts 
associated with the alternatives for the MHPI, including a No Action 
Alternative. This is the fourth revision to the SEIS, which will 
describe the changes in the alternative development process used to 
identify potential parcels of land for the MHPI, consider F-35 aircraft 
noise profiles, identify new alternatives resulting from this process, 
and identify the potential impacts to the affected environment from 
MHPI.

[[Page 69079]]

    Purpose: The purpose of this action is for the Air Force to 
implement the MHPI by leveraging private sector funds, expertise, and 
efficiency with Air Force resources (land and residences). The Air 
Force would ``privatize'' its military family housing assets (those 
currently owned and operated by the government as opposed to leased 
housing) to accelerate the improvement and availability of housing for 
military families.
    Proposed Action: To obtain 1,477 military family housing units 
through some mixture of parcels from the five alternatives listed below 
plus the Hurlburt Field parcels. To implement the MHPI, the Air Force's 
proposed action includes the conveyance of all 1,413 existing military 
family housing units and infrastructure distributed among several 
parcels of land located on Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field to a private 
developer.
    Of the existing units, the private developer would demolish 1,404, 
renovate units in place, and accept the Air Force's conveyance of nine 
existing historic units ``as is.'' The private developer would 
construct 1,477 new units (548 units for Hurlburt Field and 929 units 
for Eglin AFB) in phases and return nine historic units (five historic 
units located at Georgia Avenue on Eglin AFB and four historic units at 
Camp Pinchot) to the Air Force for adaptive reuse for purposes other 
than residential housing (e.g., offices, meeting places, etc.) once 
replacement units are constructed. At completion of the project, a 
private developer would own and operate 1,477 military family housing 
units (548 units for Hurlburt Field and 929 units for Eglin AFB) on 
behalf of the Air Force.
    All construction and demolition activities would occur on Air 
Force-owned property at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field. The Air Force 
would lease the real property underlying the current units to the 
private developer. For areas not designated for rebuilding, this lease 
would last only until demolition is complete or once replacement units 
are built (in the case of the historic units), at which time the 
property would be returned to the Air Force. For areas designated for 
rebuilding, renovation, or conveyance as is, the real property would be 
leased to the private developer for a period of 50 years from the date 
of the transaction. In addition, the existing Hurlburt Field FAMCAMP 
area would relocate as part of this proposed action.
    Alternatives: Activities described under the Proposed Action, 
including construction of housing on Hurlburt Field, would be common 
across all alternatives, except the No Action Alternative. The 
alternatives for MHPI differ in the distribution of the housing. The 
following locations are being considered:
    Alternative 1. Crestview Park/Duke Field Area consists of two 
parcels totaling 567 acres. The area is located approximately one mile 
northwest of Duke Field, just south of the Yellow River along the 
northern border of the Eglin Reservation.
    Alternative 2. Eglin Northeast Area comprises four parcels totaling 
2,458 acres. The area is located approximately one mile southeast of 
Mossy Head, Florida, right inside the northeastern Eglin Reservation 
border.
    Alternative 3. White Point Area comprises seven parcels totaling 
416 acres. The area is located at White Point along the coastline of 
Choctawhatchee Bay south of Niceville, Florida, and adjacent to SR-20.
    Alternative 4. Eglin Main Base/Valparaiso Area comprises eight 
parcels totaling 695 acres. The largest parcel (620 acres) is located 
in the southwest corner of Eglin Main Base adjacent to the New Plew 
housing area. The remaining parcels are located along the northeast 
border of Eglin Main Base, near the East Gate and adjacent to 
Valparaiso.
    Alternative 5. North Fort Walton Beach Area comprises five parcels 
totaling 457 acres with a 50 acre buffer area. Three parcels were 
previously identified in MHPI NEPA documentation as the ``Camp Pinchot 
Expansion Area'' (located adjacent to the Camp Pinchot Historic 
District and bordered on the west by SR-189 and the east by Garnier 
Bayou) and parts of the ``Poquito Bayou Expansion Area'' (located just 
north of the existing Poquito Bayou housing area). The remaining two 
parcels are located along the southern Eglin Reservation boundary in 
north Fort Walton Beach just north of SR-189 and adjacent to the 
Okaloosa County Fairgrounds. The Camp Pinchot Historic District is not 
included in this alternative.
    No Action Alternative. The Air Force would not implement the 
Proposed Action at Eglin or Hurlburt Field. Instead, the Air Force 
would continue to manage/maintain and replace/upgrade MFH in accordance 
with existing Air Force policy and resources.
    Background: This document constitutes the fourth revision of an EIS 
that started with a Notice of Intent in January 2004 (Federal Register/
Vol. 69, No. 116, pg. 3570/January 26, 2004). The first iteration of 
the Draft EIS was published and released to the public in April 2005 
(Federal Register/Vol. 70, No. 67, pg. 17994/April 8, 2005). After 
consideration of concerns raised during the public comment period, the 
Air Force issued the second iteration, the Revised Draft EIS in March 
2006 (Federal Register/Vol. 71, No. 62, pg. 16302/March 31, 2006), 
which received public and agency comments. Before the EIS was 
finalized, circumstances arose causing the Air Force to halt the 
completion of the EIS and reevaluate the Proposed Action.
    The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) decisions resulted in 
the direction to beddown the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) (i.e., the F-35 
aircraft) and the Army's 7th Special Forces Group. This BRAC directed 
action resulted in a planned net gain of approximately 4,000 additional 
military, civilian, and contractor personnel (not including family 
members) at Eglin AFB. As a result, the Air Force conducted a new 
housing requirements analysis and issued its third EIS iteration, the 
Supplemental Draft EIS in Aug 2008 (Federal Register/Vol. 73, No. 154, 
pg. 46269/August 8, 2008). The third iteration analyzed the potential 
consequences from housing alternatives limited exclusively to the main 
base areas of Eglin AFB or Hurlburt Field due to a shortfall in project 
financials associated with hurricane-related increases in construction/
insurance costs.
    Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to 
be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope of the 
EIS (i.e., what will be covered and in what detail) by soliciting 
scoping comments from interested state and federal agencies and 
interested members of the public through the Federal Register and 
various media in the local areas of concern. Scoping comments should be 
submitted to the address below by the date indicated. The Air Force 
will also hold a series of scoping meetings to further solicit input 
regarding the scope of the proposed action and alternatives.

DATES: Three scoping meetings will be held in the potentially impacted 
communities. The scheduled dates, times, locations and addresses for 
the meetings will be published in local media a minimum of 15 days 
prior to the scoping meetings. The Air Force intends to hold scoping 
meetings in the following communities: Crestview, FL; Ft Walton Beach, 
FL; and Niceville, FL.
    In addition to comments received at the scoping meetings, any 
written comments on the scope of the proposed EIS should be provided to 
the address below by Friday, February 1, 2010.

[[Page 69080]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Mike Spaits, Eglin AFB Public 
Affairs Office, 101 West D Avenue, Suite 110, Eglin Air Force Base, FL 
32542-5499, phone (850) 882-2836, e-mail: mike.spaits@eglin.af.mil or 
check the Web site, https://www.eglin.af.mil/housing_privatization/index.asp.

Bao-Anh Trinh,
YA-3, DAF, Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-30980 Filed 12-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-05-P
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