F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...

F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment
2.0 Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives
In addition to the main text, the following appendices are included in this document: Appendix
A, Characteristics of Chaff; Appendix B, Characteristics and Analysis of Flares; Appendix C,
Agency Coordination; Appendix D, Aircraft Noise Analysis and Airspace Operations;
Appendix E, Section 7 (Endangered Species Act) Compliance Wildlife Analysis for F-22 Plus Up
Environmental Assessment; Appendix F, Review of Effects of Aircraft Noise, Chaff, and Flares
on Biological Resources.
2.5.2 Scope of Resource Analysis
The Proposed Action has the potential to affect certain environmental resources. These
potentially affected resources have been identified through communications with state and
federal agencies and Alaska Natives, review of past environmental documentation, and public
input. Specific environmental resources with the potential for environmental consequences
include airspace management and air traffic control (including airport traffic), noise, safety, air
quality, biological resources, cultural resources, land use (including recreation and
transportation), socioeconomics, and environmental justice. Since there would be no
construction associated with the Proposed Action, there would be no expected environmental
consequences to certain resources, such as water and earth resources. Therefore, these resources
are not included in this EA.
2.5.3 Public and Agency Input
The Air Force initiated early public and agency
involvement in the environmental analysis of the proposed
plus-up of the additional six primary and one backup F-22
aircraft. The Air Force distributed IICEP letters and
published notices of the intent to prepare this EA in the
Anchorage Daily News, the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman, and
the Eagle River Alaska Start. These announcements solicited
public and agency input on the proposal. The IICEP
Distribution List and Agency Coordination are presented in
Appendix C.
JBER F-22 pilots are residents of Alaska and listen
to the concerns of agencies and the public to be
good neighbors during operational training.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) response to the IICEP letter included their
statement that there are no federally listed or proposed species and/or designated or proposed
critical habitat for which they are responsible within the action area of the project (USFWS
2011). The National Marine Fisheries Service determined that the F-22 plus-up may affect but is
unlikely to adversely affect the Cook Inlet beluga whale (CIBW) (Appendix C).
Notices of the intent to prepare this EA with enclosed stamped return postcards were sent to 35
Alaska Native villages and Tribal government entities. Nine Alaska Native villages returned the
response postcards. No specific comments on the proposed action from any Alaska Native
village or Tribal government entity were received during or after the scoping period (Appendix
C). Information from previous consultation with Alaska Natives has been included in this EA.
No written comments were received from the public in response to the notices of the intent to
prepare this EA published in the local newspapers.
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