[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82496-82497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25978]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket: FAA-2023-2249]


Notice of Availability; Adoption of the United States Air Force's 
Final Environmental Impact Statement--Airspace Optimization for 
Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and the Record of 
Decision for Federal Aviation Administration Actions

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) for the adoption of the United 
States Air Force (USAF) final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and 
FAA's record of decision (ROD).

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SUMMARY: The FAA announces its decision to adopt the USAF FEIS--
Airspace Optimization for Readiness at Mountain Home Air Force Base 
(MHAFB), Mountain Home, Idaho. Based on its independent review and 
evaluation of the FEIS and supporting documents, the FAA is adopting 
the FEIS and issuing a ROD for the modification of special use airspace 
(SUA) at the Mountain Home Range Complex (MHRC).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lonnie Covalt, Operations Support 
Group, Western Service Center, 2200 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; 
telephone (206) 231-3998.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    As described in the FEIS, the Proposed Action consists of USAF 
military flight training operations at low altitudes in the Paradise 
North Military Operations Area (MOA), Paradise South MOA, Owyhee South 
MOA, and Jarbidge South MOA. USAF would conduct supersonic operations 
at lower altitudes within the same four MOAs. To accommodate the 
Proposed Action, the FAA would modify SUA to ensure safe operations 
continue within the National Airspace System and allow for optimized 
airspace at the MHRC.
    The MHRC and the SUA associated with MHAFB provide airspace for 
combat air power and combat support training to U.S. forces--and its 
allies--and support unit-level and larger force combat skills training. 
In addition, mission activities such as search and rescue training, 
survival training, convoy escort training, and ground-based air defense 
radio detection and ranging (radar) threat simulation occur on the land 
areas of the MHRC. The airspace and ranges primarily support Idaho-
based units from MHAFB Air National Guard units from Gowen Field in 
Boise, Idaho, in addition to other USAF and Department of Defense 
(DoD)-approved users. The MHRC SUA consists of six MOAs and two 
Restricted Areas (RA) with associated ranges for inert weapons use. The 
airspace overlies portions of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) underwent a 109-day 
public comment period from July 9, 2021, to October 25, 2021, and there 
were 2,894 comment letters (not including duplicate submittals) 
submitted during the public comment period via mail, email, written at 
public hearings, verbal at public hearings, and the public website. A 
summary of the DEIS public involvement, agency coordination, and tribal 
consultation is contained in the FEIS. The FAA circularized the 
aeronautical proposal. The FEIS was made available to the public for 30 
days on March 3, 2023, through a NOA in the Federal Register (88 FR 
13443). The USAF issued their ROD on July 14, 2023, and a NOA of USAF's 
ROD was published in the Federal Register on August 2, 2023 (88 FR 
50849).

Implementation

    After evaluating the aeronautical study and the FEIS, the FAA has 
issued a ROD for the requested SUA. The Proposed Action consists of 
changes to lower the altitude of the floors within the MHAFB Military 
Operations Areas (MOA) of Paradise North MOA, Paradise South MOA, 
Owyhee South MOA, and Jarbidge South MOA. The designated altitudes are 
at 100 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL) up to 17,999 ft mean sea 
level (MSL). The times of use are between 0730-2200 mountain time, 
Monday through Friday; other times by Notice of Air Missions (NOTAM) 
expected use is estimated to be 260 days per year, 12 hours per day. 
The legal descriptions for the modified MOAs will be published in the 
National Flight Data Digest.
    In accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and other 
applicable authorities (including FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental 
Impacts: Policies and Procedures, paragraph 8-2, and FAA Order JO 
7400.2P, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters, paragraph 32-2-3), 
the FAA has conducted an independent review and evaluation of the USAF 
FEIS. As a cooperating agency with responsibility for approving SUA 
under 49 U.S.C.

[[Page 82497]]

40103(b)(3)(A), the FAA provided subject matter expertise and 
coordinated with the USAF during the environmental review process.
    The FAA signed the ROD on [November 17, 2023]. The ROD is available 
on the FAA website at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/environmental_issues.

    Issued in Des Moines, WA, on November 17, 2023.
Lonnie Covalt,
Lead Environmental Protection Specialist, Operations Support Group, 
Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2023-25978 Filed 11-22-23; 8:45 am]
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