Enrolled SJR 6: Urging the United States Army and United States Air Force to extend the public comment period for the scoping phase of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Modernization and Enhancement Environmental Impact Statement, which is set to end February 18, 2011, for a minimum of 30 days to allow for effective communication and full state and user involvement during the comment period.
00Enrolled SJR 6 01 Urging the United States Army and United States Air Force to extend the public comment 02 period for the scoping phase of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Modernization and 03 Enhancement Environmental Impact Statement, which is set to end February 18, 2011, for a 04 minimum of 30 days to allow for effective communication and full state and user involvement 05 during the comment period. 06 _______________ 07 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 WHEREAS Alaska's Military Operations Areas, including in the air and on the land 09 and sea, are necessary to replicate realistic conditions for training and testing of combat 10 systems; and 11 WHEREAS expanded weapons and sensor capabilities, extended mobility, and 12 improved communications have driven the need for larger training areas; and 13 WHEREAS the federal Environmental Impact Statement for the actions and projects 14 identified by the United States Army and the United States Air Force in a proposal known as 15 Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Modernization and Enhancement was released for public 16 scoping comment on December 10, 2010, preceding the holiday season; and
01 WHEREAS the proposals involve expanding and establishing new Military 02 Operations Areas, restricted airspace, and airspace corridors, expanding access to training 03 areas, and developing new ranges and facilities to provide adequate resources to conduct 04 training and testing under realistic and varied conditions; and 05 WHEREAS the proposed significant expansion of those Military Operations Areas 06 will have far-reaching effects across multiple segments of the state's communities, industries, 07 and activities, including hunting, tourism, commerce, and aviation; and 08 WHEREAS aviation represents approximately $3,500,000,000 in economic activity 09 in the state and supports an estimated 47,000 jobs, constituting a significant component of the 10 state's economy; and 11 WHEREAS proposals for Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Modernization and 12 Expansion may greatly affect aviation in the state; and 13 WHEREAS the aerospace needs of the civil aviation community have evolved 14 significantly since the last major expansion of Military Operations Areas in the mid-1990s, 15 and the emergence of new technologies has changed how aviation uses airspace; and 16 WHEREAS a complete review of existing and proposed airspace uses is needed to 17 consider which alternatives may best suit the overall aviation needs of all users now and in the 18 future; and 19 WHEREAS it is vital to ensure that citizens are allowed access to their villages at all 20 times and for all reasons; and 21 WHEREAS four villages in the state currently cannot be accessed by air during 22 military operations; and 23 WHEREAS proposed military expansion into air corridors will significantly interfere 24 with air traffic into and out of Fairbanks and will affect training operations conducted in the 25 area by general aviation and commercial operators; and 26 WHEREAS all divisions and departments of state government must be given 27 adequate time to evaluate thoroughly the effects from the proposed changes in military 28 airspace; and 29 WHEREAS it is paramount that, for all potential contact between civilian and 30 military operations involving both United States and foreign military aircraft, safety prevails; 31 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Army
01 and United States Air Force to extend the public comment period for the scoping phase of the 02 Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex Modernization and Enhancement Environmental Impact 03 Statement, which is currently scheduled to close on February 18, 2011, for a minimum of 30 04 days past that date to allow for effective communication and full state and user involvement 05 during the comment period. 06 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Robert M. Gates, United 07 States Secretary of Defense; the Honorable John M. McHugh, United States Secretary of the 08 Army; the Honorable Michael B. Donley, United States Secretary of the Air Force; and the 09 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the 10 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.