Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 62 / Tuesday, April 1, 1997 / Notices 15471

Additional copies of the DEIS have

been placed in the Riverhead Free

Library, 330 Court Street, Riverhead,

New York.

Written comments on the DEIS should

be mailed to the address noted below

and must be postmarked not later than

May 9, 1997 to be part of the official

record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning this

notice may be obtained by contacting

Mr. Kurt Frederick (Code 202) Northern

Division, Naval Facilities Engineering

Command, 10 Industrial Highway, MSC

82, Lester, PA 19113, telephone (610)

595–0728, facsimile (610) 595–0778.

Dated: March 27, 1997.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Alternate Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–8192 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for;

the Implementation of a

Comprehensive Land Use Management

Plan at the Naval Air Weapons Station,

China Lake, CA

SUMMARY: Per Section 102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969, as implemented by the Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations (40 CFR part 1500–1508) the

Department of the Navy announces its

intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the

potential environmental effects of

implementing a comprehensive Land

Use Management Plan for the Naval Air

Warfare Center Weapons Division

(NAWCWD), located at the Naval Air

Weapons Station (NAWS), China Lake,

California. The Navy is the lead agency

in the preparation of the EIS. It is

anticipated that other Department of

Defense installations, and Department of

the Interior agencies such as the Bureau

of Land Management and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, will act as

cooperating agencies.

The California Desert Protection Act

(the Act) of 1994, reauthorized the

Navy’s continued use of public

withdrawn lands to support China

Lake’s Research, Development, Test and

Evaluation (RDT&E) and training

mission. The Act requires the

development of a land use management

plan for these withdrawn lands, in

accordance with the requirements of the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act, by October 1997. Additionally, in

response to military downsizing

initiatives and potential influences of

evolving technologies on weapons

systems RDT&E and training

requirements, the Navy recognizes the

need to implement a comprehensive

management system that integrates

operational and environmental planning

processes.

The Navy’s proposed action is the

implementation of a comprehensive

Land Use Management Plan (LUMP) at

NAWS China Lake for managing

existing and proposed land uses

authorized under the California Desert

Protection Act. Proposed land uses

include, but are not limited to, ongoing

and future military operations, public

health and safety practices, and ongoing

and future environmental resources

management and conservation at NAWS

China Lake. The LUMP will be

developed in conformance with the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act (FLPMA, 1976).

The EIS will also evaluate a range of

land use management practices,

including the ‘‘no action’’ alternative.

Alternative land use management

practices could include a range of

activities of greater or lessor intensity of

land use type or tempo. The ‘‘no action’’

alternative would implement a Land

Use Management Plan that would not

change the ongoing type or tempo of

land uses and environmental resources

management direction or emphasis

currently in place at China Lake.

The EIS will evaluate the potential

immediate and cumulative effects of

implementing a comprehensive Land

Use Management Plan on the physical,

natural, and human environments of the

affected geographic area. Major

environmental issues that will be

addressed in the EIS include, but are not

limited to: geology/soils; biology; water

resources/hydrology, noise, air quality

(visibility & conformity), land use, nonmilitary land use and access, cultural

resources, socio-economics,

transportation, public health and safety,

and hazardous materials.

The Navy will initiate a scoping

process for the purpose of determining

the extent of issues to be addressed and

identifying the significant issues related

to the China Lake EIS. Scoping meetings

will be held in the towns of Trona,

Inyokern, Independence, Barstow,

Johannesburg, and Ridgecrest. Meeting

sites and times will be published in the

Federal Register, and in local and

regional newspapers. During the

scoping meetings, presentation of

information on the proposed action will

precede the request for public comment.

Navy representatives will accept

comments from members of the public

at the meeting. It is important that

Federal, state, and local agencies, and

interested individuals take this

opportunity to identify environmental

concerns that should be addressed in

the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Agencies and the public are

invited and encouraged to provide

written comments in addition to, or in

lieu of, oral comments at the public

scoping meetings. To be most helpful,

scoping comments should clearly

describe specific issues or topic which

the EIS should address. Written

comments must be postmarked by June

30, 1997 and should be mailed to

Commander, Naval Air Weapons Station

China Lake, Attn: Ms. Robin Hoffman,

Land Use Planning Office, China Lake,

CA 93555, telephone (619) 939–0935,

fax (619) 939–2541.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Robin Hoffman at (619) 939–0935.

Dated: March 27, 1997.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAG, USN, Alternate Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–8193 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

Implementation of the Draft Integrated

Management Plan for the Patuxent

River Complex, Maryland

SUMMARY: Per section 102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the

Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508),

the Department of the Navy announces

its intent to prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the

potential environmental effects of

implementing the draft Integrated

Management Plan for the Patuxent River

Complex, Maryland. The Patuxent River

Complex includes the Patuxent River

Naval Air Station (NAS) including the

Test Pilot School, Webster Field Annex

(an Outlying Field), and the Chesapeake

Test Range, which are assets under the

exclusive control and scheduling

authority of the Naval Air Warfare

Center—Aircraft Division (NAWCAD).

The Patuxent River Complex is

located 60 miles southeast of

Washington, DC, in southern Maryland,

where the Navy has actively conducted

aircraft test and evaluation activities for

more than 50 years. In recent years, the

post-Cold War shift from the threat of

nuclear superpower confrontation to

regional conflicts has required the
15472 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 62 / Tuesday, April 1, 1997 / Notices

military services to redefine their roles

and identify the types of weapons and

platforms most effective to future

success in regional conflicts.

Concurrent with the rise of regional

conflicts has been a trend of significant

reductions in national defense

spending. The Patuxent River Complex

has been affected by the 1991, 1993, and

1995 Base Realignment and Closure Act

(BRAC) decisions to relocate Naval

Aviation Research, Development, Test

and Evaluation (RDT&E) facilities from

Warminster, Pennsylvania and Trenton,

New Jersey and Naval Air Systems

headquarters from Arlington, Virginia to

the Complex. (Environmental Impact

Statements were prepared in 1993 and

1994 to assess this realignment of these

functions; issues addressed in these

NEPA documents will be incorporated

by reference only in the EIS for the

Patuxent River Complex Integrated

Management Plan.) These realignments

and consolidation of their assets will

better position NAWCAD to carry out its

mission as the Navy’s principal RDT&E,

engineering, and fleet support activity

for Naval fixed and rotary wing aircraft

and associated systems from acquisition

through all life cycle phases.

In response to these changes,

NAWCAD recognized the need to

initiate a strategic planning initiative

that included the preparation of an

Integrated Management Plan for the

NAWCAD-controlled assets in the

Patuxent River Complex. The

implementation of the plan will enable

the Navy to meet its commitment to

conserve and protect the unique natural

and cultural resources of the Patuxent

River Complex and Chesapeake Bay

while protecting human health and

welfare.

The Integrated Management Plan will

provide a framework within which

NAWCAD can efficiently and effectively

utilize the assets under its control to

meet its strategic planning initiatives

while complying with applicable local,

state, and Federal laws. However, prior

to NAWCAD adoption of the Integrated

Management Plan, compliance with

NEPA is required. The preparation of an

EIS will meet these NEPA requirements.

The EIS will address a range of

alternatives that focus on varying

workload levels associated with both

RDT&E and military training support

activities: (1) Level I Workload

Alternative will consist of RDT&E

activities at recent levels and an

increase in military training support

activities for a combined total of

approximately 22,000 flight hours per

year; (2) Level II Workload Alternative

will consist of increases in RDT&E

activities and military training support

activities for a combined total of

approximately 24,000 flight hours per

year; and (3) Level III Workload

Alternative will consist of increased

RDT&E activities and military training

support activities for a combined total of

approximately 26,000 flight hours per

year. As required by NEPA, the EIS will

also consider the No Action Alternative.

This alternative would consist of

RDT&E activities and military training

support activities at existing workload

levels.

Topics to be addressed in the EIS will

include, but are not limited to, noise, air

quality, vegetation and wildlife, water

quality, and socioeconomic impacts,

including environmental justice.

Federal, state, and local agencies, and

interested individuals are encouraged to

participate in a scoping process to

determine the range of issues related to

the proposed action.

Five public scoping meetings will be

held to receive oral and written

comments. Each scoping meeting will

provide opportunities for clarification of

the draft Integrated Management Plan

and alternatives and solicit input from

representatives of government agencies

and interested individuals. The Navy

will set up information stations at these

scoping meetings that will describe the

Patuxent River Complex, the scope of

Integrated Management Plan, and the

NEPA EIS process. Each information

station will be attended by a Navy

presenter who will be available to

answer questions from meeting

attendees. Comments will be entered

into the official record in several ways:

written comments sheets available at

each meeting; tape recorders located

throughout the meeting area; and via a

stenographer who will be available to

transcribe statements. Written

comments will also be accepted via mail

or fax. Regardless of the commenting

method chosen, all comments will

receive the same attention and

consideration during EIS preparation.

The five public scoping meetings will

be held at the following times and

locations: (1) Prince Frederick,

Maryland on May 6, 1997 at the Calvert

High School from 3:30 pm–5:30pm and

6:30 pm–8:30 pm; (2) Leonardtown,

Maryland on May 8, 1997 at the

Leonardtown High School School from

3:30 pm–5:30 pm and 6:30 pm–8:30 pm;

(3) Burgess, Virginia on May 12, 1997 at

the Fairfields Baptist Church from 3:00

pm–6:00 pm; Westover, Maryland on

May 14, 1997 at the JM Tawes Technical

Center from 3:00 pm–6:00 pm; and (5)

Cambridge, Maryland on May 15, 1997

at the Christ Episcopal Church from

2:00 pm–5:00 pm and 6:30 pm–8:30 pm.

The schedule for the public scoping

meetings will also be available by

calling (888) 276–5201.

ADDRESSES: The Navy will accept

comments at the address below at any

time during the environmental impact

statement process. To ensure that the

Navy has sufficient time to consider

public input during preparation of the

Draft EIS, scoping comments should be

submitted to the address below by June

1, 1997. For further information

concerning the preparation of the EIS, or

to provide written comment, contact:

Cathy A. Partusch, Public Affairs

Officer, Naval Air Station Patuxent

River, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft

Division, Naval Air Station Patuxent

River, Maryland, telephone (301) 342–

7512, ext. 24; fax (301) 342–7509;

Internet:

PartuschCA%am5@mr.nawcad.navy.

mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning this

notice may be obtained by contacting

Ms. Cathy Partusch at (301) 342–7512.

Dated: March 21, 1997.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAG, USN, Alternate Federal Register

Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–8191 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Advisory Committee on Student

Financial Assistance; Meeting

AGENCY: Advisory Committee on

Student Financial Assistance,

Education.

ACTION: Notice of upcoming meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the

schedule and proposed agenda of a

forthcoming meeting sponsored by the

Advisory Committee on Student

Financial Assistance. This notice also

describes the functions of the

Committee. This document is intended

to notify the general public.

DATES: Monday, April 21, 1997,

beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at

approximately 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday,

April 22, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and

ending at approximately 2:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Radisson Barcelo Hotel,

2121 P Street, N.W., National A Room,

in Washington, D.C. 20037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Brian K. Fitzgerald, Staff Director,

Advisory Committee on Student

Financial Assistance, 1280 Maryland

Avenue, S.W., Suite 601, Washington,

D.C. 20202–7582 (202) 708–7439.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Advisory Committee on Student