SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental ConsequencesRegulatory and Administrative Mitigation 3: Strict adherence to applicable safety regulations andprocedures would continue to protect human health and safety within the new maneuver area.Additional Mitigation 3: Access controls would be developed and implemented to ensure the safety ofall personnel; and warning signs would be posted on the boundary to prevent unauthorizeduse/trespass.Less Than Significant ImpactsConversion of agricultural land to training land. The use of two new maneuver training areas wouldresult in the conversion of agricultural land at SRAA and the Keamuku Parcel to training land.Approximately 535 acres of actively cultivated pineapple land within SRAA would be converted totraining land and approximately 23,000 acres of grazing land at the Keamuku Parcel would beconverted to maneuver training land. The Keamuku Parcel is part of the former Waikoloa ManeuverArea.Under Alternative A, military activities, training, and restriction areas would be confined within theSRAA boundaries and would not affect land uses outside the SRAA. In addition, this land is adjacentto existing urban areas and support services, would not result in the indirect conversion of anyexisting farmland or farm support services (i.e., irrigation systems) off-site, and would not jeopardizethe farm support services on remaining areas. The acquisition area would serve as an additional bufferto the existing training lands, including the ordnance impact area. Disturbed areas (agricultural fieldsand roads) would continue to be used for walking and driving between locations. The ITAM programwould be used to identify and mitigate potential impacts on the land.The use of the Keamuku Parcel is likely to be used for military training 40 to 60 times per year.General military training within these areas is not expected to affect off-post land uses because theproposed activities would be confined to within the training area boundaries. The Army is consideringestablishing cooperative relationships to allow continued agricultural use at the SRAA and continuedgrazing activities at the Keamuku Parcel, in conjunction with training on the land, subject toconstraints posed by training activities. With implementation of these mitigation measures, impacts toagricultural land uses are expected to be less than significant.SBCT training on lands currently used for training. Much of the land area within the USAG-HI isused for military training and would continue to be used for SBCT training. Land uses would notchange under implementation of Alternative A because these areas currently being used for maneuvertraining would continue to be used in the same manner. Vehicles used during maneuver exerciseswould be replaced by the Stryker vehicle. The land is expected to be used more frequently andintensively; however, maneuver areas would remain the same. There would be no mounted maneuvertraining area on KLOA; therefore, impact analysis is not applicable. Therefore, introducing theStryker is not considered a significant land use change. No mitigation would be required.5.2.6.5 Beneficial ImpactsConflicts with existing land uses and recreation resources or conflicts with land use or resourcemanagement plans or policies. Hunting activities associated with PTA would not change because theArmy would continue its cooperative efforts with the state to provide access to hunting areas. Therewould be a beneficial impact on recreation land use at the Keamuku Parcel. The Keamuku Parcelconsists of Parker Ranch-managed land, which is a private hunting area. Acquisition of this land bythe Army would have a beneficial impact because this land would become accessible to the public forhunting when not in use for training.February 2008 5-33 2/25th SBCT Final EIS