Philmont was donated to the Boy Scouts of America my Mr. Waite Phillips, of Tulsa, Oklahoma in two gifts. The first gift was in 1938 and the second in 1941. So that these future citizens may, through thoughtful adult guidance and by the inspiration of nature, visualize and form a code of living to diligently maintain these high ideals and our proper destiny. Philmont is in its 61st year of operation. The RBTI is intended to train Air Force bomber crews on terrain following missions.
Current routes are in Texas, Nevada, and Arkansas.
The Air Force is looking for more economical routes near its bases in Texas. The other two routes being considered are in West Texas. While we fully support the mission of the United States Air Force and understand the need for insuring that our pilots and crews receive the best training possible, at the least possible expense of limited defense dollars, we are concerned with RBTI Alternative D on several fronts. We feel that the DEIS has not fully examined the environmental and socio-economic impact on Philmont or the surrounding communities. The proposed route covers 114,600 of Philmont's 137,000 acres, including the most commonly hiked trails, the Ranch Headquarters, and Training Center areas.