Within the EIS, the Navy and NASA will consider the potential environmental penalties of the Navy’s and NASA’s proposal to retain using 8,348 acres and 23 acres, respectively, of State lands presently utilized pursuant to leases and easements on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, for operational continuity and sustainment on the Pacific Missile Vary Facility (PMRF), and NASA’s continued operations, together with measurements of the Earth’s rotation and native land movement, at Kōkeʻe Park Geophysical Observatory (KPGO). The Proposed Motion is required as a result of the prevailing actual property agreements for these State lands are set to run out between 2027 and 2030. Preserving the long-term Division of Protection and NASA use of those State lands is essential for navy readiness, continuation of ongoing navy coaching and testing, and sustaining knowledge assortment efforts of world and native significance. It additionally ensures the continued conservation administration by the Navy and NASA of pure and cultural sources on these lands.
By making certain continued Navy and NASA operations on Kauaʻi, the true property motion would additionally protect native jobs and revenue for the residents of Kauaʻi, financially contribute to the general financial well-being of Kauaʻi, and preserve continued conservation administration of pure and cultural sources on State lands without charge to the State of Hawaiʻi.
For parts of PMRF, the Navy has lease agreements with the State of Hawaiʻi for 8,348 acres, comprised of 684 acres of leaseholds and seven,664 acres of easements. The Navy operates on 410 acres of the entire acres leased from the State of Hawaiʻi. Nearly all of the leased and easement areas stay deliberately undeveloped as they’re used as an encroachment buffer and safety for the vary’s mission. The Navy’s present leases and easements assist mission operations, entry, and utilities at 5 normal places: Essential Base, Kamokalā Ridge, Mānā Water Properly, Miloli‘i Ridge, and Mākaha Ridge.
NASA operates 23 acres throughout 5 parcels alongside a one mile stretch of highway in Kōkeʻe State Park. NASA has issued a Use Allow to the Navy to be used of parts of KPGO for mission assist for PMRF.
For the Division of Land and Pure Assets, along with its position because the lessor of State lands, the proposed actual property motion presents a chance for the company to safe a income supply to assist its administration of public lands and related environmental and conservation applications. Charges from leases and easements are put right into a State fund as required by legislation.
The EIS will consider the potential environmental results of the Proposed Motion and options, together with the No Motion Different. The EIS will fulfill each federal and State of Hawaiʻi necessities and supply the mandatory analyses to permit the Navy, NASA, and the Division of Land and Pure Assets to think about the environmental results of the Proposed Motion as a part of their choice making.
IMPORTANT DATES: The Navy and NASA are initiating a public scoping interval to obtain feedback on the scope of the EIS. This public scoping effort is being performed in accordance with the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act and Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343. The scoping conferences may also function a chance to acquire public enter regarding potential results to historic properties pursuant to Part 106 of the Nationwide Historic Preservation Act and HRS Part 6E-42.
Members of the general public are inspired to take part within the environmental planning course of by offering enter on the proposed actual property motion, together with potential options, environmental or cultural considerations, info the general public would really like the Navy and NASA to know, and every other info the general public wish to see addressed within the EIS.
The general public scoping interval begins Might 8, 2024, and ends June 17, 2024. The general public is inspired to submit written feedback by June 17, 2024, and should submit oral feedback on the public scoping conferences.
PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS: The Navy and NASA will host public scoping conferences at three places on Kauaʻi. The general public is inspired to attend any of the general public scoping conferences to speak story, study extra, and submit written or oral feedback. All conferences can be held from 5 to eight p.m. HST on the following places:
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Kauaʻi Veterans Heart
3215 Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hwy, Līhuʻe
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Kekaha Neighborhood Heart
8130 Elepaio Rd, Kekaha
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Sheraton Kauaʻi Coconut Seaside Resort
650 Aleka Loop, Kapaʻa
Assembly Occasions: 5 to eight p.m. HST
Agenda:
· 5 to eight p.m. Info stations – meet the undertaking group, speak story, and ask questions. Go to the feedback station to offer a written or oral remark.
· 6 to six:30 p.m. Mission presentation by Navy and NASA.
HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS:
Submit Feedback in Particular person, On-line, or by Mail
Submit feedback by June 17, 2024. The Navy and NASA encourage the general public to attend a public scoping assembly and to go to the undertaking web site to study extra. The general public could submit feedback in any of the next methods:
· In individual at a public scoping assembly
· By the undertaking web site at PMRF-KPGO-EIS.com
· By electronic mail to data@PMRF-KPGO-EIS.com
· By mail, postmarked by June 17, 2024, to the next handle:
Naval Services Engineering Methods Command, Hawaiʻi
Environmental OPHEV2
Attn: PMRF and KPGO RE EIS Mission Supervisor, Ms. Kerry Wells
400 Marshall Highway, Constructing X-11
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860
For language help or particular lodging, the general public ought to contact the PMRF Public Affairs Officer at (808) 335-4740 or PMRFPublicAffairs@us.navy.mil. Requests for language help or particular lodging ought to be made a minimum of seven days previous to the general public assembly.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES TO BE STUDIED
The Navy and NASA suggest to judge potential environmental impacts for every of the options on the next useful resource areas recognized under. The general public is invited to offer enter on these and different sources that ought to doubtlessly be thought of within the EIS.
Social Atmosphere
· Archaeological and historic sources
· Cultural practices
· Visible sources
· Public well being and security
· Land use
· Socioeconomics
· Environmental justice
Bodily Atmosphere
· Air high quality and greenhouse gases
· Water sources
Organic Atmosphere
· Organic sources
Constructed Atmosphere
· Utilities
· Transportation
· Hazardous supplies and strong wastes
ABOUT THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY AND KŌKEʻE PARK GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY: The U.S. Navy’s PMRF is the world’s largest instrumented, multi-domain coaching and testing facility. PMRF is an important a part of Division of Protection coaching, analysis, improvement, testing, and analysis. PMRF is exclusive due to its simultaneous functionality to assist subsurface, floor, air, and house operations.
On Kauaʻi, the Navy is the biggest high-tech employer and third largest general employer. A lot of the 900 personnel at PMRF are civilians, together with many from the local people. PMRF contributes roughly $150 million yearly in salaries, contract items, and companies to the native financial system. PMRF helps operations from single-unit workout routines to large-scale, multiple-unit coaching occasions. PMRF is situated on the southwest coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi.
NASA operates KPGO to gather geodetic knowledge in regards to the Earth’s form, orientation in house, and gravity. This knowledge helps fashionable navigation know-how such because the International Positioning System (GPS) that’s used daily in all kinds of gadgets, from handheld smartphones to satellites. As well as, this knowledge is used for scientific research, spacecraft navigation, and the geolocation of Earth observations. Continued operation of KPGO is required to make sure these data-related operations of world and native significance can proceed, permitting a number of companies’ missions to persist with out interruption. KPGO is situated on a distant ridge inside Kōkeʻe State Park within the western portion of Kauaʻi. For extra info, go to https://space-geodesy.nasa.gov/NSGN/websites/KPGO/KPGO.html. For extra details about PMRF, go to https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/PMRF-Barking-Sands/.
NASA has issued a Use Allow to the Navy to be used of parts of KPGO for mission assist with radar, telemetry, and communications companies.
Preserving the long-term Division of Protection and NASA use of those State lands is essential for navy readiness, continuation of ongoing navy coaching and testing, and sustaining knowledge assortment efforts of world and native significance. It additionally ensures the continued conservation administration by the Navy and NASA of pure and cultural sources on these lands.
