Preserving Castner Range

One of the major efforts of the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition is the preservation of the Castner Range as open space. The goal is to make that range part of the Franklin Mountains State Park once the Army has cleared it of unexploded ordnance. Clearing will require a lengthy process of site preparation. Following a site assessment in early January, the Army will hold a public meeting on January 14, 2010 at the Radisson Hotel at the Airport.

This email was sent regarding the public meeting:

From: Victoria_Kantsios@URSCorp.com [mailto:Victoria_Kantsios@URSCorp.com]
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 2:38 PM
Subject: Castner Range: WAA Site Characterization Update

***This email is being sent on behalf of US Army Garrison, Fort Bliss***

The US Army is currently performing various activities at the Fort Bliss Castner Range (west of US 54, north and south of Transmountain Road) as part of the Wide Area Assessment Field Demonstration Project. The project team has suspended site preparation activities until 5 January 2010. Upon our return, the team will finalize site preparation activities for the geophysical surveys. We plan to fly low altitude helicopter-borne magnetometry the week of 11 January 2010 and deploy ground-based geophysical teams later in the month. Local residents should not be surprised with the flurry of people and activities.

As a reminder, we have scheduled the second Technical Project Planning Meeting for 14 January 2010 beginning at 9:00 am at the Radisson Hotel, El Paso Airport.

If you have questions about this project or the MMRP, please contact Mr. Ron Baca, Program Manager, Environmental Division, Directorate of Public Works, Fort Bliss, at (915) 568-7979; or Ms. Kimberly Watts, U.S. Army Environmental Command, at (410) 436-6843.

V/R,

Victoria Kantsios
___________________________
Victoria Kantsios
URS Corporation
2450 Crystal Drive, Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 418-3030 (Office)
(404) 702-1141 (Cell)
(703) 418-3040 (Fax)
victoria_kantsios@urscorp.com

This e-mail and any attachments contain URS Corporation confidential information that may be proprietary or privileged. If you receive this message in error or are not the intended recipient, you should not retain, distribute, disclose or use any of this information and you should destroy the e-mail and any attachments or copies.

FMWC urges the public to attend the meeting and support preserving Castner Range and open space.

The Coalition will recommend that the Army specifically include in its plans that Castner Range be preserved in its natural state. This would be a mitigation for the inevitable destruction of natural habitat caused by the expansion of Fort Bliss. The ideal mechanism for this process is a Conservation Conveyance.

Judy Ackerman, a Coalition board member informs us that Fort Bliss is soliciting currently comments:

Fort Bliss is soliciting comments on their Draft (EIS) for Fort Bliss Army Growth and Force Structure (GFS) Realignment. The full document on line:
https://www.bliss.army.mil/About%20Ft%20Bliss/NEW-EIS/Documents/Growth-ForceStructure-documentFortBliss.pdf.

(You may encounter several security warnings, but no worries, click continue.)

Send written comments no later than December 29, 2009 to:
• John Barrera, NEPA Program Manager/ Attn: FB GFS EIS/IMWE-BLS-PWE/Bldg. 624, Pleasonton Rd., Fort Bliss, TX 79932; or by email: bliss.EIS@conus.army.mil.

Requests for additional information may be sent to:
• Ms. Jean Offutt, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office, IMWE-BLS-PA, Fort Bliss, TX 79916-6812;
Tel: (915) 568-4505; Fax: (915) 568-2995; email: jean.offutt@us.army.mil.

Ackerman wrote this comment to Mr. John Barrera:

"The following are Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Analyzing the Potential Impacts of Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment at Fort Bliss from The Frontera Land Alliance.

"We understand the need for national defense and necessity to train military personnel. We appreciate the economic benefits that the Fort Bliss expansion bring to our area and support El Paso’s partnership with the military.

"As Fort Bliss expands, there has been, and continues to be, significant habitat destruction. We recommend that as a mitigation for the past and continuing environmental damage, Fort Bliss actively seek permanent preservation of Castner Range as natural open space. The appropriate end state would be when Castner Range is cleared of unexploded ordnance and the property is transferred to the Franklin Mountains State Park.

"Preserving Castner Range benefits all El Pasoans including military members and their extended families. This project could be completed in phases starting with a conservation conveyance. This is a natural follow on to the Wide Area Assessment that the Army Environmental Command is currently conducting on Castner Range.

"At a minimum, Fort Bliss should commit to a long range plan that specifies that Castner Range should be preserved in its natural state."