You have until Feb. 14 to let the U.S. Navy know what you think about the draft Environmental Impact Statement tied to their planned expansion of the Fallon Range Training Complex at Naval Air Station Fallon. The AMA hopes you will submit comments.
The DEIS offers three alternatives and a no-change option. The three alternatives progress from dramatically impacting OHV access on Alternative 1 to the least impact on Alternative 3, the Navy’s preferred option. Our primary concern with each option is the closing of trails and roads long open to OHV use, whether for recreation or competition.
The complete draft Environmental Impact Statement is available here.
A summary of the alternatives is here
Alternative 1 would allow continued OHV use only in the Dixie Valley Training Area. Alternative 2 allows some shared recreational use of the Fallon Training Area by setting specific access dates, much like the compromise that was reached for California’s Johnson Valley at the Twenty-Nine Palms Marine base. But Alternative 2 does not include OHV use. Alternative 3 would have similar restrictions and area removal sizes, but would locate the removed areas in a way that minimizes OHV access restrictions.
PNMTA’s support for Alternative 3 was contingent upon roads being added or boundaries modified to correct OHV legal trails and roads left disconnected by planned changes, and a Special Recreation Area being established outside the training range that recognizes motorized recreation as an approved use.
Since the ultimate change will be determined by the U.S. Congress, your contacting your federal elected officials with your views on the DEIS and expansion, as well as the Navy, makes sense. Contact information for your federal representatives is available here by entering your address or zip code or their names.
Comments Deadline: Feb 14 for U.S. mail postmark.
Submit comments through the U.S. mail, addressed to:
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest
Code EV21.SG
1220 Pacific Highway
Building 1, 5th Floor
San Diego, CA 92132
For more information, contact the Navy at the address above or call the Fallon Modernization Information Line at (775) 426-4081
