environmental assessment us border patrol, tucson sector

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYINTRODUCTION:This draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared inaccordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) andanalyzes the project alternatives and potential impacts on the humanand natural environment resulting from the construction, operation,and maintenance of a proposed United States (U.S.) Border Patrol(USBP) Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the San Bernardino Valley,east of Douglas in Cochise County, Arizona, at one of four alternativesites.USBP is a law enforcement entity of U.S. Customs and BorderProtection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security(DHS). USBP’s priority mission is to prevent the entry of terroristsand their weapons of terrorism and to enforce the laws that protect theUnited States homeland. This is accomplished by the detection,interdiction, and apprehension of those who attempt to illegally enteror smuggle any person or contraband across the sovereign borders ofthe United States.This EA addresses the potential effects, beneficial and adverse,resulting from the proposed construction, operation, and maintenanceof the proposed FOB in USBP Douglas Station’s Area ofResponsibility (AOR) in Cochise County, Arizona. The proposedFOB would be constructed to sustain approximately 30 agents in thefield for an indefinite period, in support of the National Border PatrolStrategy to gain and maintain effective control of the borders of theUnited States (CBP 2005). USBP Douglas Station’s AOR includes40.5 linear miles of the United States/Mexico border, over 1,450square miles of mountainous terrain, and is divided into six borderpatrol zones: Zones 32 through 37. Zones 35, 36, and 37, referred toas the eastern zones, are a remote operational environment and spanthe San Bernardino Valley. The remoteness of, and travel time to, theeastern zones inhibit the capability of law enforcement agents torespond to illegal activity. Agents deploying to the easternmost areasof Zone 37 typically have a response time of approximately 1 hourand 45 minutes to 2 hours from muster at the USBP Douglas Station.By providing a FOB near the United States/Mexico border with livingquarters and fuel facilities, agent response time to illegal cross-borderactivities would be greatly reduced, and agents could be moreefficiently deployed to patrol the more remote sections of USBPDouglas Station’s AOR. The overall safety and efficiency of currentand future operations within USBP Douglas Station’s AOR would beenhanced, as well as the safety of ranches and residents located in theSan Bernardino Valley.Douglas FOB EADraftAugust 2011