Department of the Army July 24, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Senior Commander, US Army Hawaii, has reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Military Training Activities at MMR and has made the decision to proceed with a variation of Alternative 2 to recommence live-fire training at MMR. Alternative 2 in the Final EIS analyzes up to 50 combined-arms live-fire exercises (CALFEX) and 200 convoy live-fire exercises (LFX). The variation of Alternative 2 allows up to 32 CALFEXs and 150 convoy LFXs, and allows squad- and platoon-level LFXs that lead up to the company-level CALFEX. This decision also reconfirms that the Army will not use MMR for live- fire training at night until all relevant fire suppression measures are met and approved in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007 and 2008 Biological Opinions. The Army has decided not to use the following weapon systems at MMR in order to further protect the environmental and cultural resources of the valley: Tracer ammunition; Javelin and inert, tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) missiles; anti-tank (AT-4) and 2.75-inch rockets; the shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon (SMAW); and illumination munitions. This decision also eliminates the use of Ka'ena Point and C-Ridge for training, due to the risk of wildfire and the potential impacts to threatened and endangered species. This Alternative 2 variation represents a proper balance for meeting the training requirements of the units of the 25th Infantry Division (ID), U.S. Army Reserve, Hawaii Army National Guard, and other users of the range at MMR, while ensuring the Army meets its responsibilities to preserve the land and resources at MMR, and continues to be a good neighbor to the community along the Wai'anae coast.