Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Regional Special Use Airspace Optimization To Support Air Force Missions in Arizona, 2597-2599 [2022-00749]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2022 / Notices
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breaking strength of 600 lb (272 kg),
1,700 lb (771 kg) maximum breaking
strength sleeves, and line with a
breaking strength of less than 2,200 lb
(998 kg).
EFP Buoy Line
Six of the eight currently available
ASBRS devices require the use of a line
for retrieval that is contained and stored
at depth by a line management system.
The other two release devices do not use
line, but instead, utilize the inflation of
either a lift bag or inflatable buoy to pull
a lead trap to the surface. The styles of
line storage vary with device design and
includes square, rectangular, domed,
circular, and conical cages, oyster mesh
bags, canisters, and spools. These have
been successfully used in trials and
testing in a variety of active fishing
operations in the United States and
worldwide.
Four of the ASBRS devices in the EFP
require floating line to return the buoy
or buoys to the surface for retrieval.
Currently, the average time for
appearance of buoys at depths greater
than 100 ft (30.5 m) is approximately 3
minutes. Retrieval generally takes less
than 2 minutes, which means that any
floating line would be at the surface for
less than 5 minutes, and during which
time the fishing vessel would be within
20–30 ft (6.1–9.1 m) of the line. Two of
the release devices do not incorporate
line longer than 10 ft (3.1 m) in their
design, and two devices use a harness
that clips to the pot. The remaining
devices use less than 150 ft (45.7 m) of
line which would be stowed inside
either a bag or on a spool. Sinking line
cannot be used for any ASBRS as it
would create a negatively buoyant strain
on the buoys and not effectively allow
for their return to the surface. All of the
ASBRSs with a line storage system
would need to be attached between the
trap and the buoy. If necessary, several
of the ASBRSs may also require a small
anchor or weight to be attached between
the pot and line-storage device or buoy
in areas with higher current to keep
them from fouling in the pot, as well as
to ensure they are not dragged from
their intended deployment area. For lift
bag and buoy systems, the actual
systems would be secured between the
pot and the buoy/bag.
NMFS finds the application warrants
further consideration based on a
preliminary review. Possible conditions
the agency may impose on the permit,
if granted, include but are not limited
to, a prohibition on conducting fishing
gear testing within marine protected
areas, marine sanctuaries, special
management zones, or areas where they
might interfere with managed fisheries
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17:00 Jan 14, 2022
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without additional authorization.
Additionally, NMFS may require special
protections for ESA-listed species and
designated critical habitat, and may
require particular gear markings. A final
decision on issuance of the EFP will
depend on NMFS’ review of public
comments received on the application,
consultations with the appropriate
fishery management agencies of the
affected states, the South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, and the
U.S. Coast Guard, and a determination
that the activities to be taken under the
EFP are consistent with all applicable
laws.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: January 11, 2022.
Ngagne Jafnar Gueye,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–00737 Filed 1–14–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
Regional Special Use Airspace
Optimization To Support Air Force
Missions in Arizona
Department of the Air Force,
Federal Aviation Administration,
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
The Department of the Air
Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice of
Intent (NOI) to advise the public of its
intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the
potential environmental consequences
associated with optimizing the Special
Use Airspace (SUA) managed by the
DAF to support aircrews stationed at
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB),
Luke AFB, and Morris Air National
Guard Base ([ANGB] located at Tucson
International Airport) in Arizona and to
request comments on potential
alternatives and impacts, and
identification of any relevant
information, studies, or analyses of any
kind concerning impacts affecting the
quality of the human environment.
DATES: This NOI begins the public
scoping process for identifying issues
and potential alternatives for
consideration in the EIS. Notifications
are being concurrently published in
local newspapers within the potentially
affected localities. Scoping comments
are requested by March 4, 2022 to
ensure full consideration in the Draft
EIS in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.9.
SUMMARY:
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2597
In-person scoping meetings will be held
at the dates and locations below. All
meetings will be open-house style from
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Local). There
will not be a formal presentation, please
attend at your convenience. Persons
with hearing impairments should notify
the DAF at least 7 days in advance of
the meeting dates to ensure that sign
language assistance can be available.
Masks worn over the nose and mouth
and social distancing are required at all
in-person meetings. Spanish interpreters
will be available at scoping meetings.
• February 7, 2022. Sonoran Desert
Inn & Conference Center, 55 South
Orilla Avenue, Ajo, Arizona 85321.
• February 8, 2022. Superior Town
Hall, 199 N Lobb Avenue, Superior,
Arizona 85173.
• February 9, 2022. Bagdad Event
Center, 121 Main Street, Bagdad,
Arizona 86321.
• February 10, 2022. Congress Fire
Department, 26733 Santa Fe Road,
Congress, Arizona 85332.
• February 22, 2022. Village Hall, 15
Jake Scott Street, Reserve, New Mexico
87830.
• February 23, 2022. Clifton
Community Center, 100 North Coronado
Blvd., Clifton, Arizona 85533.
• February 24, 2022. Animas High
School, 1 Panther Blvd., Animas, New
Mexico 88020.
In addition to the in-person meetings,
the project website
www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com
provides a virtual presentation of the
meeting materials for those persons that
do not wish to attend or are unable to
attend an in-person meeting. All the
handout(s) and displays for the inperson meetings are available on the
website.
The EIS is still in the early planning
stages and the schedule is subject to
change. The schedule will be updated
throughout the EIS process on the
project website. Major milestone dates
are as follows:
• Draft EIS and Notice of Availability
(NOA) publication, Fall 2023
• Draft EIS Public Comment Period
and Hearing, Fall 2023
• Final EIS and NOA publication,
Summer 2024
• Record of Decision signature,
Summer/Fall 2024
ADDRESSES: For questions regarding the
Proposed Action or EIS development, or
to request sign language assistance at
the in-person scoping meetings, contact
Grace Keesling, at grace.keesling.1@
us.af.mil or (210) 925–4534. Comments
may be submitted through the project
website
www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com,
E:\FR\FM\18JAN1.SGM
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2598
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2022 / Notices
by mailing to Arizona Regional Airspace
EIS, c/o Cardno, 501 Butler Farm Rd.,
Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666, or in
person at the scoping meetings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Air
Force utilizes portions of the National
Airspace System (NAS) for aerial
training and test activities known as
Special Use Airspace (SUA). As a
specific type of SUA, Military
Operations Areas (MOAs) are specific
airspace, defined by vertical and lateral
limits, established for the purpose of
separating certain military flight
activates from other civil and
commercial air traffic. Air Force
aircrews stationed in Arizona are
continually challenged to meet critical
training requirements within existing
MOAs established decades ago. The
MOAs that are currently used for Air
Force training in Arizona, specifically
low altitude airspace and airspace that
supports supersonic operations at low
altitude, have become saturated with
aircraft. While the Air Force manages an
extensive network of valuable SUA in
the region, including the restricted areas
associated with the Barry M. Goldwater
Range, the volume and attributes
associated with the individual MOAs
are insufficient to meet the current
training requirements. The Air Force is
proposing a regional approach that aims
at optimizing the existing training
airspace to meet current and future
mission requirements of multiple users.
The airspace proposed for optimization
includes the following MOAs:
Tombstone, Outlaw, Jackal, Reserve,
Morenci, Bagdad, Gladden, Sells, Ruby,
and Fuzzy. These MOAs overlie land
located throughout southern Arizona
and a small portion of western New
Mexico.
The purpose of the Proposed Action
is to optimize existing Air Force SUA to
address the existing and future training
deficiencies of aircrews stationed at
Davis-Monthan AFB, Luke AFB, and
Morris ANGB due to existing airspace
limitations. The need for the Proposed
Action is driven by two primary factors:
The need for aircrews to be able to
conduct flight training near their home
base; and the need to conduct required
training to ensure readiness and
increase survivability. As currently
configured, the identified MOAs do not
provide the appropriate altitudes (down
to 500 feet above ground level [AGL]
and lower), terrain variety, and
attributes (ability to fly supersonic at
lower altitude and use of chaff and
flares) to support required training.
The Proposed Action is to modify
existing Air Force MOAs to address
existing and future training deficiencies.
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The Proposed Action includes changing
published times of use; adjusting the
horizontal dimensions of some airspace;
lowering the floor of some airspace to
allow for low-altitude training; and
adjusting airspace attributes to allow for
supersonic speed at lower altitude and
use of chaff and flares. The Proposed
Action does not include any changes at
the installations (personnel,
infrastructure, aircraft inventory, or
airfield operations), ground disturbance
beneath the MOAs, or weapons
deployment.
Three preliminary action alternatives
that meet the purpose and need for the
Proposed Action have been developed.
Comments received during scoping may
result in changes or additions to these
alternatives. Additionally, the No
Action Alternative (Alternative 1),
whereby the proposed modifications of
the training airspace would not occur,
will be evaluated to provide a
benchmark that will enable Air Force
decision makers to compare the
magnitude of the environmental effects
of the Proposed Action and any
reasonable alternatives.
Alternative 2 (Proposed Action)
would optimize the existing Air Force
managed airspace, including the
following changes to the times of use,
horizontal and vertical dimensions, and
attributes: Published times of use for all
MOAs would be modified to provide
consistency across the airspace;
Tombstone A, B, and C would be
combined and the northern boundary of
the MOA and associated Tombstone Air
Traffic Control Assigned Airspace
(ATCAA) would be expanded; an
exclusion zone would be established
below 13,000 feet above mean sea level
(MSL) surrounding Bisbee Douglas
International Airport; the floor of
Tombstone MOA would be lowered to
100 AGL from the existing 500 feet AGL;
the floors of Outlaw and Jackal MOAs
would be lowered to 500 feet AGL from
the existing 3,000 feet AGL; the floors of
the Bagdad and Gladden MOAs would
be lowered to 500 feet AGL from the
existing 5,000 feet AGL; use of chaff
would be authorized in Tombstone
MOA; the minimum flare release
altitude in Tombstone, Gladden, and
Bagdad MOAs would be lowered to
2,000 feet AGL from 5,000 feet AGL; the
minimum flare release altitude in
Outlaw and Jackal MOAs would be
lowered to 2,000 feet AGL from 3,000
feet AGL; and the authorization for
supersonic flight would be lowered to
5,000 feet AGL from the existing 30,000
feet MSL in Tombstone, Outlaw, Jackal,
Morenci, and Reserve MOAs.
Alternative 3 would include those
modifications proposed for Alternative
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2 except that the northern boundary of
the Tombstone MOA/ATCAA would not
be expanded. Additionally, to increase
the volume of airspace available to
support Davis-Monthan AFB, the floor
of Jackal MOA would also be lowered to
100 feet AGL from the existing 3,000
feet AGL.
Alternative 4 would include those
modifications proposed in Alternative 2
except supersonic flight would be
authorized down to 10,000 feet AGL in
the Tombstone, Outlaw, Jackal, Morenci
and Reserve MOAs (vs 5,000 feet AGL
in Alternative 2). While this option
would not fully optimize the airspace
for supersonic operations, lowering the
authorized altitude in the MOAs would
improve the current capabilities.
Based on previous NEPA actions in
the region and familiarity with the
affected environment, the following is a
preliminary list of issues and concerns
that will be the focus in the EIS: Noise
and sonic boom impacts to domestic
animals, wildlife, special status species,
children, quality of life, property values,
homes, and cultural resources; effects to
cultural resources and Native American
tribes; effects to Environmental Justice
populations; aircraft safety and impacts
to civilian pilots (crop dusting, predator
control, and cattle management) and
commercial operations; air quality
impacts to wildlife and public; effects
from use of chaff and flares, specifically
fire risk; and effects to special use land
management areas such as wilderness
areas, national wildlife refuges, and
national parks/monuments.
Scoping and Agency Coordination: To
effectively define the full range of issues
and alternatives to be evaluated in the
EIS, the Air Force is soliciting
comments from interested local, state
and federal elected officials and
agencies, Tribes, as well as interested
members of the public and others. The
DAF is requesting comments concerning
the proposed SUA optimization, feasible
alternatives, possible measures to
mitigate, minimize and/or avoid adverse
environmental impacts, and any other
information relevant to the Proposed
Action and any reasonable alternatives.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
State Historic Preservation Offices for
Arizona and New Mexico, and tribes
with interest in land beneath the
airspace are being consulted to ensure
compliance with the Endangered
Species Act and National Historic
Preservation Act. The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has agreed to be
a Cooperating Agency for this action.
The FAA would update aeronautical
charts to reflect any modifications to
existing airspace that result from this
proposal and published in FAA Order
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2022 / Notices
JO 7400.10(C), Special Use Airspace
(https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/
publications/).
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Adriane Paris,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
Defense Business Board; Notice of
Federal Advisory Committee Meeting
[FR Doc. 2022–00749 Filed 1–14–22; 8:45 am]
AGENCY:
Office of the Secretary
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Deputy Secretary
of Defense, Department of Defense
(DoD).
ACTION: Notice of Federal Advisory
Committee meeting.
Department of the Army
SUMMARY:
BILLING CODE 5001–10–P
Appointment to the Board of Directors
of the Army West Point Athletic
Association
AGENCY:
Department of the Army, DOD.
Notice of designation as an
entity for which DOD personnel may
participate in management activities.
ACTION:
The Department of the Army
is publishing this notice to announce
that the DOD Office of General Counsel
has designated the Army West Point
Athletic Association is an entity for
which DOD personnel may participate
in management activities.
SUMMARY:
Ms.
Lori L. Doughty, Academy Counsel, in
writing at Office of the Staff Judge
Advocate, ATTN: Ms. Lori L. Doughty,
646 Swift Road, West Point, NY 10996;
by email at lori.doughty@westpoint.edu;
or by telephone at 845–938–3205.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Army
West Point Athletic Association
(AWPAA) is the 501(c)(3) corporation
organized under the provisions of Title
10, United States Code, section 7462 to
execute the U.S. Military Academy’s
intercollegiate athletics mission. The
AWPAA is governed by a board of
directors (BOD), which is responsible
for the day-to-day operations of the
AWPAA as well as the general corporate
responsibilities of the organization. Of
the minimum of seven BOD positions
made available under its bylaws, three
are reserved for members of the Armed
Forces. The purpose of Armed Forces
membership on the AWPAA BOD is to
provide oversight and advice to, and
coordination with AWPAA, but will not
extend to the day-to-day operations of
the AWPAA.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
James W. Satterwhite, Jr.,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022–00762 Filed 1–14–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–03–P
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The DoD is publishing this
notice to announce that the following
Federal Advisory Committee meeting of
the Defense Business Board (‘‘the
Board’’) will take place.
DATES: Open to the public Wednesday,
February 2, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. Eastern time.
ADDRESSES: Due to the current guidance
on combating the Coronavirus, the
meeting will be conducted virtually or
by teleconference only. To participate in
the meeting, see the Meeting
Accessibility section for instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Jennifer Hill, Designated Federal Officer
of the Board in writing at Defense
Business Board, 1155 Defense Pentagon,
Room 5B1088A, Washington, DC
20301–1155; or by email at
jennifer.s.hill4.civ@mail.mil; or by
phone at 571–342–0070.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
meeting is being held under the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C.), the
Government in the Sunshine Act (5
U.S.C. 552b), and 41 CFR 102–3.140 and
102–3.150.
Purpose of the Meeting: The mission
of the Board is to examine and advise
the Secretary of Defense on overall DoD
management and governance. The Board
provides independent advice reflecting
an outside private sector perspective on
proven and effective best business
practices that can be applied to DoD.
Agenda: The Board meeting will
begin February 2, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
Eastern time with opening remarks by
Jennifer Hill, the Designated Federal
Officer. The Board will then receive
remarks by the Board Chair, and
remarks by the Deputy Secretary of
Defense. The Board will then receive a
briefing on Energy Reform from Mr.
Richard Kidd, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Energy &
Environment Resilience. The meeting
will conclude with closing remarks by
the Board Chair and Designated Federal
Officer. The latest version of the agenda
will be available upon publication of the
Federal Register on the Board’s website
at: https://dbb.defense.gov/Meetings/
Meeting-February-2022/.
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2599
Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to the
FACA and 41 CFR 102–3.140, the
meeting on February 2, 2022 from 10:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. is open to the public.
Persons desiring to participate in the
public session are required to register.
Attendance will be by teleconference
only. To attend the public session,
submit your name, affiliation/
organization, telephone number, and
email contact information to the Board
at osd.pentagon.odam.mbx.defensebusiness-board@mail.mil. Requests to
attend the public meeting must be
received no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern
time, on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
Upon receipt of this information, a
teleconference line number will be sent
to the email address provided which
will allow teleconference attendance to
the event. (The DBB will be unable to
provide technical assistance to any user
experiencing technical difficulties
during the meeting.)
Written Comments and Statements:
Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.105(j) and
102–3.140 and section 10(a)(3) of the
FACA, the public or interested
organizations may submit written
comments or statements to the Board in
response to the stated agenda of the
meeting or in regard to the Board’s
mission in general. Written comments
or statements should be submitted to
Ms. Jennifer Hill, the Designated Federal
Officer, via electronic mail (the
preferred mode of submission) at the
address listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section. Each page
of the comment or statement must
include the author’s name, title or
affiliation, address, and daytime phone
number. The Designated Federal Officer
must receive written comments or
statements being submitted in response
to the agenda set forth in this notice by
January 26, 2022 to be considered by the
Board. The Designated Federal Officer
will review all timely submitted written
comments or statements with the Board
Chair, and ensure the comments are
provided to all members of the Board
before the meeting. Written comments
or statements received after this date
may not be provided to the Board until
its next scheduled meeting. Pursuant to
41 CFR 102–3.140d, the Board is not
obligated to allow any member of the
public to speak or otherwise address the
Board during the meeting. Members of
the public will be permitted to make
verbal comments during the meeting
only at the time and in the manner
described below. If a member of the
public is interested in making a verbal
comment at the meeting, that individual
must submit a request, with a brief
statement of the subject matter to be
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2597-2599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00749]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Regional Special Use Airspace Optimization To Support Air Force
Missions in Arizona
AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, Federal Aviation Administration,
Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this Notice
of Intent (NOI) to advise the public of its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential
environmental consequences associated with optimizing the Special Use
Airspace (SUA) managed by the DAF to support aircrews stationed at
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Luke AFB, and Morris Air National
Guard Base ([ANGB] located at Tucson International Airport) in Arizona
and to request comments on potential alternatives and impacts, and
identification of any relevant information, studies, or analyses of any
kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the human environment.
DATES: This NOI begins the public scoping process for identifying
issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the EIS.
Notifications are being concurrently published in local newspapers
within the potentially affected localities. Scoping comments are
requested by March 4, 2022 to ensure full consideration in the Draft
EIS in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.9. In-person scoping meetings will
be held at the dates and locations below. All meetings will be open-
house style from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Local). There will not be a
formal presentation, please attend at your convenience. Persons with
hearing impairments should notify the DAF at least 7 days in advance of
the meeting dates to ensure that sign language assistance can be
available. Masks worn over the nose and mouth and social distancing are
required at all in-person meetings. Spanish interpreters will be
available at scoping meetings.
February 7, 2022. Sonoran Desert Inn & Conference Center,
55 South Orilla Avenue, Ajo, Arizona 85321.
February 8, 2022. Superior Town Hall, 199 N Lobb Avenue,
Superior, Arizona 85173.
February 9, 2022. Bagdad Event Center, 121 Main Street,
Bagdad, Arizona 86321.
February 10, 2022. Congress Fire Department, 26733 Santa
Fe Road, Congress, Arizona 85332.
February 22, 2022. Village Hall, 15 Jake Scott Street,
Reserve, New Mexico 87830.
February 23, 2022. Clifton Community Center, 100 North
Coronado Blvd., Clifton, Arizona 85533.
February 24, 2022. Animas High School, 1 Panther Blvd.,
Animas, New Mexico 88020.
In addition to the in-person meetings, the project website
www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com provides a virtual presentation of
the meeting materials for those persons that do not wish to attend or
are unable to attend an in-person meeting. All the handout(s) and
displays for the in-person meetings are available on the website.
The EIS is still in the early planning stages and the schedule is
subject to change. The schedule will be updated throughout the EIS
process on the project website. Major milestone dates are as follows:
Draft EIS and Notice of Availability (NOA) publication,
Fall 2023
Draft EIS Public Comment Period and Hearing, Fall 2023
Final EIS and NOA publication, Summer 2024
Record of Decision signature, Summer/Fall 2024
ADDRESSES: For questions regarding the Proposed Action or EIS
development, or to request sign language assistance at the in-person
scoping meetings, contact Grace Keesling, at [email protected]
or (210) 925-4534. Comments may be submitted through the project
website www.ArizonaRegionalAirspaceEIS.com,
[[Page 2598]]
by mailing to Arizona Regional Airspace EIS, c/o Cardno, 501 Butler
Farm Rd., Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666, or in person at the scoping
meetings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Air Force utilizes portions of the
National Airspace System (NAS) for aerial training and test activities
known as Special Use Airspace (SUA). As a specific type of SUA,
Military Operations Areas (MOAs) are specific airspace, defined by
vertical and lateral limits, established for the purpose of separating
certain military flight activates from other civil and commercial air
traffic. Air Force aircrews stationed in Arizona are continually
challenged to meet critical training requirements within existing MOAs
established decades ago. The MOAs that are currently used for Air Force
training in Arizona, specifically low altitude airspace and airspace
that supports supersonic operations at low altitude, have become
saturated with aircraft. While the Air Force manages an extensive
network of valuable SUA in the region, including the restricted areas
associated with the Barry M. Goldwater Range, the volume and attributes
associated with the individual MOAs are insufficient to meet the
current training requirements. The Air Force is proposing a regional
approach that aims at optimizing the existing training airspace to meet
current and future mission requirements of multiple users. The airspace
proposed for optimization includes the following MOAs: Tombstone,
Outlaw, Jackal, Reserve, Morenci, Bagdad, Gladden, Sells, Ruby, and
Fuzzy. These MOAs overlie land located throughout southern Arizona and
a small portion of western New Mexico.
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to optimize existing Air
Force SUA to address the existing and future training deficiencies of
aircrews stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Luke AFB, and Morris ANGB due
to existing airspace limitations. The need for the Proposed Action is
driven by two primary factors: The need for aircrews to be able to
conduct flight training near their home base; and the need to conduct
required training to ensure readiness and increase survivability. As
currently configured, the identified MOAs do not provide the
appropriate altitudes (down to 500 feet above ground level [AGL] and
lower), terrain variety, and attributes (ability to fly supersonic at
lower altitude and use of chaff and flares) to support required
training.
The Proposed Action is to modify existing Air Force MOAs to address
existing and future training deficiencies. The Proposed Action includes
changing published times of use; adjusting the horizontal dimensions of
some airspace; lowering the floor of some airspace to allow for low-
altitude training; and adjusting airspace attributes to allow for
supersonic speed at lower altitude and use of chaff and flares. The
Proposed Action does not include any changes at the installations
(personnel, infrastructure, aircraft inventory, or airfield
operations), ground disturbance beneath the MOAs, or weapons
deployment.
Three preliminary action alternatives that meet the purpose and
need for the Proposed Action have been developed. Comments received
during scoping may result in changes or additions to these
alternatives. Additionally, the No Action Alternative (Alternative 1),
whereby the proposed modifications of the training airspace would not
occur, will be evaluated to provide a benchmark that will enable Air
Force decision makers to compare the magnitude of the environmental
effects of the Proposed Action and any reasonable alternatives.
Alternative 2 (Proposed Action) would optimize the existing Air
Force managed airspace, including the following changes to the times of
use, horizontal and vertical dimensions, and attributes: Published
times of use for all MOAs would be modified to provide consistency
across the airspace; Tombstone A, B, and C would be combined and the
northern boundary of the MOA and associated Tombstone Air Traffic
Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA) would be expanded; an exclusion zone
would be established below 13,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL)
surrounding Bisbee Douglas International Airport; the floor of
Tombstone MOA would be lowered to 100 AGL from the existing 500 feet
AGL; the floors of Outlaw and Jackal MOAs would be lowered to 500 feet
AGL from the existing 3,000 feet AGL; the floors of the Bagdad and
Gladden MOAs would be lowered to 500 feet AGL from the existing 5,000
feet AGL; use of chaff would be authorized in Tombstone MOA; the
minimum flare release altitude in Tombstone, Gladden, and Bagdad MOAs
would be lowered to 2,000 feet AGL from 5,000 feet AGL; the minimum
flare release altitude in Outlaw and Jackal MOAs would be lowered to
2,000 feet AGL from 3,000 feet AGL; and the authorization for
supersonic flight would be lowered to 5,000 feet AGL from the existing
30,000 feet MSL in Tombstone, Outlaw, Jackal, Morenci, and Reserve
MOAs.
Alternative 3 would include those modifications proposed for
Alternative 2 except that the northern boundary of the Tombstone MOA/
ATCAA would not be expanded. Additionally, to increase the volume of
airspace available to support Davis-Monthan AFB, the floor of Jackal
MOA would also be lowered to 100 feet AGL from the existing 3,000 feet
AGL.
Alternative 4 would include those modifications proposed in
Alternative 2 except supersonic flight would be authorized down to
10,000 feet AGL in the Tombstone, Outlaw, Jackal, Morenci and Reserve
MOAs (vs 5,000 feet AGL in Alternative 2). While this option would not
fully optimize the airspace for supersonic operations, lowering the
authorized altitude in the MOAs would improve the current capabilities.
Based on previous NEPA actions in the region and familiarity with
the affected environment, the following is a preliminary list of issues
and concerns that will be the focus in the EIS: Noise and sonic boom
impacts to domestic animals, wildlife, special status species,
children, quality of life, property values, homes, and cultural
resources; effects to cultural resources and Native American tribes;
effects to Environmental Justice populations; aircraft safety and
impacts to civilian pilots (crop dusting, predator control, and cattle
management) and commercial operations; air quality impacts to wildlife
and public; effects from use of chaff and flares, specifically fire
risk; and effects to special use land management areas such as
wilderness areas, national wildlife refuges, and national parks/
monuments.
Scoping and Agency Coordination: To effectively define the full
range of issues and alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air
Force is soliciting comments from interested local, state and federal
elected officials and agencies, Tribes, as well as interested members
of the public and others. The DAF is requesting comments concerning the
proposed SUA optimization, feasible alternatives, possible measures to
mitigate, minimize and/or avoid adverse environmental impacts, and any
other information relevant to the Proposed Action and any reasonable
alternatives.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State Historic Preservation
Offices for Arizona and New Mexico, and tribes with interest in land
beneath the airspace are being consulted to ensure compliance with the
Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has agreed to be a Cooperating
Agency for this action. The FAA would update aeronautical charts to
reflect any modifications to existing airspace that result from this
proposal and published in FAA Order
[[Page 2599]]
JO 7400.10(C), Special Use Airspace (https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/).
Adriane Paris,
Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-00749 Filed 1-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-10-P
