Peaceful Skies Coalition

Comment Opposing Helicopter Training in the Lincoln National Forest of NM

Peaceful Skies Coalition

July 19, 2016

VIA E-MAIL

comments-southwestern-lincoln-sacramento@fs.fed.us

Re:      Scoping comment

High Altitude Mountain Environment Training Strategy (HAMETS) Helicopter Operations Project

To Travis Moseley, Forest Supervisor:

Peaceful Skies Coalition (PSC) is submitting comments on the Scoping phase of the proposed Lincoln National Forest High Altitude Mountain Environment Training Strategy (HAMETS) Helicopter Operations Project hereinafter referred to as LNF-HAMET. The Forest Supervisor of the Lincoln National Forest has been designated as the responsible party to manage the consideration of this proposal by Fort Bliss Army Base.

The Commenter requests that Carol Miller, President of the Peaceful Skies Coalition, be placed on the recipient list to receive notice of any developments in the NEPA process as it moves forward. The Commenter further requests that these comments be included as part of the administrative record.

Peaceful Skis Coalition believes that this proposal should be withdrawn because, among the other problems with the unacceptably cursory scoping document, Fort Bliss has failed to establish a need for this project. Fort Bliss is the second largest Army base in the world. The largest, White Sands Missile Range abuts Fort Bliss and ecologically, they are effectively a single entity. There is more than enough sufficient area between the two bases to conduct the proposed training.

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Comment Opposing Helicopter and HAMET Training on Public Lands in Washington

July 29, 2015

VIA E-MAIL

usarmy.jblm.imcom.list.dpw-eis@mail.mil

Re:      Scoping comment

Proposed Off-Base Helicopter Training Areas (HTA-HAMET)

To Base Commander Hodges:

Peaceful Skies Coalition (PSC) is submitting comments on the Scoping for Off-Base Helicopter Training Areas, hereinafter referred to as HTA-HAMET. The Aviation Division, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) proposes to establish three off-base helicopter training areas (HTAs) and one mountain training area (MTA).

The Commenter requests that Carol Miller, President of the Peaceful Skies Coalition, be placed on the recipient list to receive notice of any developments in the NEPA process as it moves forward. The Commenters further request that these comments be included as part of the administrative record.

Controversial Proposal Requires an EIS

It is the position of the PSC, that because of the extraordinarily controversial nature of this proposal, the HTA-HAMET will require a full Environmental Impact Statement. Because of the inclusion of National Forests, State Lands, a National Park and a Wilderness Area this scheme requires the highest level of public involvement and analysis of environmental impacts. An EA for this proposal will not satisfy NEPA requirements, neither statutorily nor compliance with settled case law. PSC believes that this proposal should be withdrawn because among the other problems with the scoping document, JBLM has failed to establish a need for the project. Read more

Picuris Pueblo Council Resolution Opposing Low Altitude Military Training

picuris_pueblo_opposes_latn

Comment Opposing HAMET Training on BLM Land in Royal Gorge, Colorado

Peaceful Skies Coalition

VIA E-MAIL

rgfo_comments@blm.gov

Re:      Scoping comment Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office,

To Bureau of Land Management:

Peaceful Skies Coalition (PSC) is submitting comments on the Plan of Development, High Altitude Mountain Environment Training (HAMET) submitted to the Bureau of Land Management by Fort Carson and the US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District. Limited HAMET activities have been carried out in this area in the past on US Forest Service land under a Casual Use Agreement.

Due to the tremendous increase in scope of the proposal and the controversial nature of the addition of forty-three helicopter landing zones (HLZ) and an exponentially greater number of flights for high altitude training, the Bureau of Land Management needs to reject the Plan of Development as submitted by Fort Carson and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. The coalition does not agree that this project affords the BLM the authority to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to approve this as an “easement” under by Title V of the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1979, as amended.

As stated in the CFR Title 43: Public Lands: Interior
PART 46—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969:

• 46.100   Federal action subject to the procedural requirements of NEPA.

(a) A bureau proposed action is subject to the procedural requirements of NEPA if it would cause effects on the human environment (40 CFR 1508.14), and is subject to bureau control and responsibility (40 CFR 1508.18).

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EIS Scoping Comment Submitted – Navy Growler, Whidbey Island, Washington

Peaceful Skies Coalition

January 8, 2015

VIA http://www.whidbeyeis.com/Comment.aspx

Re:      Scoping comment

EA-18G Growler EIS Project Manager
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic

Peaceful Skies Coalition (PSC) is submitting comments on the Environmental Impact Statement for EA–18G Growler Airfield Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, referred to in these comments as Growler operations.

The comments are in response to the notification published in the Federal Register stating “the scoping process will be used to identify community concerns and local issues to be addressed in the EIS. Federal agencies, state agencies, local agencies, Native American Indian Tribes and Nations, the public, and interested persons are encouraged to provide comments to the DoN to identify specific issues or topics of environmental concern that the commenter believes the DoN should consider.” [Federal Register/ Vol. 78, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2013 / Notices – 54635]

NEPA Violation – Isolating a Proposed Project

PSC has identified a large number, but not all, military expansions of land, water and airspace underway right now across the United States. Although there is considerable overlap and adjacencies among the projects, each DOD NEPA document we have read pretends to be limited to a very local area, a tiny piece of the big map. These actions constitute a clear violation of NEPA.

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Draft EIS Comment Submitted – Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado

Peaceful Skies Coalition of New Mexico and Colorado

December 15, 2014

VIA E-MAIL

US Army Environmental Command and Commander Fort Carson

usarmy.carson.imcom-central.list.dpw-ed-nepa@mail.mil.

Re:      Comments on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) Training and Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement

To Whom It May Concern:

Peaceful Skies Coalition is submitting comments on the PCMS Training and Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PCMSTODEIS) as required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. § 4331, et seq., (NEPA) for the United States Army Environmental Command and Fort Carson Army Base.

These comments are submitted during the requisite comment period by the Peaceful Skies Coalition (Commenters). The Commenters request that Peaceful Skies Coalition members Carol Miller and Clifton Bain be placed on the recipient list to receive notice of any developments in the NEPA review process for this proposal and any related documents issued by the US Army Environmental Command and/or Fort Carson in the course of the NEPA review of this proposal. The Commenters further request that these comments be included as part of the administrative record in order to establish standing as a stakeholder organization.

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