Proposed Project Description

In the FEIS for Renewal of Authorization to Use Pinecastle Range, Ocala National Forest, Florida dated January 2002 (herein referred to as the 2002 FEIS), the U.S. Navy proposed to renew its authorization to use the Pinecastle Range in order to practice air-to-ground delivery of ordnance and maintain sustainable readiness. Additionally, the USFS proposed to renew the Navy’s authorization for 20 years through the issuance of a Special Use Permit (SUP). A Record of Decision (ROD), dated April 10, 2002, was issued allowing for the continued use of the Pinecastle Range for a period of 20 years through the establishment of a SUP and supporting Operating Plan (between the Navy and USFS).

The Navy has continued to develop and enhance its Range Air Installation Compatible Use Zone Program in an effort to further protect the safety and welfare of the public, and as a tool to be utilized by local government community planners to effectively manage adjacent lands, while helping to preserve training capabilities of the Navy. After completion of the 2002 FEIS, a new Safety Modeling Program was adopted by the Navy. This new Program, entitled SAFERANGE, was used to model the Range Safety Zones for training operations at the Pinecastle Range. This modeling program found that the Safety Zones were larger than previously modeled.

This SEIS will analyze the environmental effects resulting from the revised Safety Zones, the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures, and determine if additional actions or modifications to the Operating Plan are necessary to ensure public safety and range sustainability. The SEIS will also evaluate past, present and reasonably foreseeable future land use and forestry actions from a cumulative impacts perspective.

The targets, ordnance, method of delivery (air-to-ground) or volume of munitions utilized at the Pinecastle Range are not affected by the revised Safety Zones, and therefore, will not be re-analyzed in this supplemental study.