The frontiersman., 1952-08-07

man. Transcript of the testimony offered by the United States Army, Alaska Command, and by organizations and individuals of the Anchorage area in the hear ing last Friday on the military s request to withdraw 86,000 acres of the Little Susitna area across Knik Arm for an anti-aircraft inn pact zone has been sent to Wash ington. An early decision has been promised.
 Over 100 persons were present at the seven and one-half hour hearing. Testimony for and against withdrawal was given by approximately 25.
 Army Has Solid Case
 Brig General William M. Miley' commander of U. s. Army troops in Alaska. and Col. R. P. Tarr' Jr. presented the case for the army. Point by point they built up a strong case for the withdrawals predicating their case on the neeo of firing range to insure defense of Elmendorf AFB and the Anch- orage area and their inability to find a suitable target area any place else in central Alaska.
 Briefly, Col. Tarr described the tactical importance of the two batteries of 120 nm anti-aircraft artillery, each battery of which consists of two gun emplacements costing S50O,000 each or total of S2 million. The weapon IS a new one perfected since World War II and the batteries were sent to Alaska piece by piece over a two-year period until all parts had arrived by last November. So far they have not been fired once, Loss to the defense potential through this delay in training on firing these new weapons is mani fest, Col. Tarr declared.
 Search for a suitable site for the impact area has been going on for over two years, he added. One after one, possible cites had to be discarded because of tactical req sons; objections of the Alaska Road Commission, CAA, FWS, and other federal and Territorial agencies. Movement of the equp- ment over existing roads and bridges was forbidden by ARC because of the $500 ton weight Movement to a site served by the Alaska Railroad was ruled out by excessive costs of transportation cited by the railroad-S2OO,OOC per year. Thus movement of the equipment any distance from the immediate Anchorage defense area was effectively stymied.
 Then the army started looking around the Anchorage area. To the east were Chugach Noun tains, but there was highly de- veloped recreation area and min ing interests. Besides, the cloud cover during 160 days of the year, the turbulence of air, and the lack of visibility from the south ruled this area out on tacti- cal grounds. Several other pos sible sites, including a range across Turnagain Arm, had to be passed over because of existing flight lanes.
 Zone BY-Passes Big Lake
 Even the original plans for the Little Susitna area brought ob- iections from FWS and the Bureau of Land Management on the basis of highly developed re- creational areas at Big Lake and around Goose Bay and valuble stand of birch. Original plans for 12O degree arc firing range were pared down. As planned now the impact zone describes 50 degree arc with 3O,0O0 yard radii and 27,- 900 yards across the outer rim that extends slightly beyond the Little Susitna River. The north side of the impact zone is in ex- cess of 500 yards south and west of the Goose Bay dock area, and the western end of Big Lake IS $500 yards away. Col. Tarr said that firing will be limited to two six-week periods, one of which will follow the hunting season be- ginning October 15. The other