Composite Training Unit Exercises and Joint Task ... - Govsupport.us

COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Chapter 1maintains a public website and other public information processes to facilitate coordinatedrange access and use for fishing boats and other range non-military uses. The publiccomments received during USWTR validated a range public information approach such asthat already in place for the Navy’s offshore instrumented ranges in southern California.Review of public comments associated with RIMPAC 2006 indicates that much of the publiccomment and controversy was due to a stranding event investigated by the NMFS for potentialcausal connection to a prior RIMPAC exercise in the same geographic area. No suchcontroversial event exists in the history of major exercises in the Southern CaliforniaOperating Areas and environs analyzed in this EA/OEA. The types and intensity of trainingexercises analyzed here have been ongoing in these geographic areas for decades with noindication of adverse effect to marine mammals, fisheries, coastal resources, sanctuaryresources, water quality or other resources. The operational tempo assessed in this EA/OEA isconsistent with past use, and additionally considers a preferred alternative that allows for theconduct of two major exercises concurrently.Underlying the majority of formal public comments on USWTR and RIMPAC is intensiveinterest in the sufficiency of the Navy’s mitigation measures to provide for protection andstewardship of marine resources during Navy training activities. Based on the fundamentalimportance of protective and mitigative measures, this action includes an extensive set ofmitigation measures related both to underwater detonations and mid-frequency active sonar.The mitigations for mid-frequency active sonar were already in use by Navy and were furtherdeveloped in a coordinated process with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Thisextended suite of mitigation measures are responsive to public comment while ensuringmilitary readiness, and will be implemented as part of this proposed action, and are detailed inChapter 5 of this EA/OEA.In addition, as a component of the proposed action, the Navy initiated a Federal consistencyprocess under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) with the California CoastalCommission (CCC). The documentation and analyses considered throughout the CZMAprocess are provided in Appendix O. The coastal consistency determination process, by law,requires public comment and involvement. In this case, much of the public comment receivedrelated to activities for which a consistency determination concurrence was not requested (seeAppendix O and Chapter 4). However, the Navy’s participation in two public hearings andreview of public comments considered by the CCC shaped the coastal effects analyses and thereview of the mitigation measures developed cooperatively with NMFS and included as partof this Proposed Action.Finally, the Navy will use its internal procedures and regulations to ensure that the public has notice ofthe FONSI/FONSH and an opportunity to request a copy of the final EA/OEA.February 2007 1-8