SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequencesnot been used as frequently. Under this alternative, noise levels would increase because of newweapon training and the use of Stryker vehicles, but these effects would be localized and temporaryduring training. The increased noise levels in areas outside the FTC and PCMS installationboundaries might discourage residential development or development of other sensitive receptors inthese areas in the future. Noise impacts are discussed further in the noise section of this document.Impacts to land uses and recreation resources are expected to be significant but mitigable to less thansignificant.Regulatory and Administrative Mitigation 1:To mitigate for additional encroachment on range areasfrom additional development, the Army would continue to coordinate among Directorate of PublicWorks Master Planning Division; G-3; and DPTM – Range Division staff in siting of new facilities.To mitigate for noise outside of the installation boundaries, the Army would continue to follow ArmyRegulation (AR) 200-1 and Installation Environmental Noise Management Plan to monitor noise anddiscourage incompatible new development around FTC and PCMS.Less Than Significant ImpactsConflicts with existing land uses, recreation resources, or resource management plans.Implementation of this alternative could result in an increase in the frequency of training area closuresat FTC. The increased training activities would likely reduce the availability of downrange trainingareas for recreational uses, such as hunting. However, hunting would likely still be allowed indeferred areas if such use would not interfere with the training mission. Special areas used forrecreation and wildlife protection are currently off limits to training and would likely remain offlimits to training in the future.Because the maneuver training under this alternative would affect a larger area at PCMS, it wouldlikely reduce or remove the availability of the some areas for hunting. The potential limitations onhunting would affect recreation uses by further limiting or removing the single largest contiguousarea of public hunting grounds in southeast Colorado. However, because other available hunting areasexist on nearby public lands, it is expected that this alternative would result in less than significantimpacts to opportunities for recreation or hunting.SBCT training on lands currently used for training. The increased training requirements on theinstallation would be required to comply with FTC regulations for training activities. In some cases,regulations and plans may need to be updated to reflect new mission activities.Operation at the PCMS would have only minimal adverse impacts to land use on the installation. ThePCMS would remain a military training facility, which is the current land use designated by LasAnimas County and recognized by surrounding property owners. Although SBCT training couldoccur in areas not currently heavily used for the training mission or for recreational activities, itwould be consistent with the training land uses in that area.Increased maneuver training could degrade training lands and affect the long-term availability oftraining lands for military use. Because Stryker vehicle exercises tend to remain on existing roads,impacts to training lands are expected to be less than significant.Additional measures are currently in place and are continually revised and reviewed to respond tonew or increasing impacts to land uses and recreation resources. To minimize degradation of traininglands from increased training activities, the Army would continue to implement land management andenvironmental programs to balance training requirements and the need to maintain quality traininglands for sustained military use.February 2008 5-151 2/25th SBCT Final EIS