Grant County Commission holds special session to hear about airspace optimization 111417 part 2

Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 16 November 2017 16 November 2017

img 6164Photo of room filling up. All chairs soon had people sitting in them.

img 6165Photo of guests, from left, with back to the camera is Alan Shafer, speaking to an unidentified man. Next from left is Elliot Sanders, Donald Hathaway, Andrew Gomolak, Matthew McGovern and Juan Lavareda-Perez.

img 6167 1Alan Shafer at podium

[Editor's Note: This is the second of a multi-part series of articles on the Grant County Commission special meeting addressing the proposal to expand training airspace over the county. This portion will address what the Lead Airspace Analyst for Headquarters Air Force Alan Shafer had to say.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

People filled the Commissioners' Chambers in the Grant County Administration Center for the special meeting called by the Grant County Commission to address what members of the commission had felt was oversight on the part of the Air Force not to include Silver City in the scoping process. Commission Chairman asked those present to be respectful of the speakers. "These people here are our guests."

Commissioner Harry Browne asked for respect for everyone.

The Lead Airspace Analyst for Headquarters Air Force Alan Shafer introduced those who had accompanied him, Elliot Sanders from Langley Air Force Base combat command; and Andrew Gomolak, Matthew McGovern, Juan Lavareda-Perez and Donald Hathaway from Holloman Air Force Base.

"The Air Force has just finished the scoping for this proposal," Shafer said. "Holloman was picked to increase the training for pilots. We have a fighter pilot shortage. The Holloman airspace needs optimization for F-16 pilots. My goal is to give airspace back to the public. We took all the airspace we have been utilizing and want to reduce it. F-16s are not the same as they were 15 or 20 years ago. Radar can reach much farther out. We had to look for optimization. We looked for a size of airspace with proximity to the base. The training is within 120 miles or 90 miles from the base."

He said they have looked at east and west of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), "I work in the airspace shop. I work with the Federal Aviation Administration every day. The FAA decides where we put our airspace. They say, 'If you put it here, it will affect commercial flights.' White Sands is hard for us to fly over because of testing. The west side of WSMR is better for us."

After the scoping, for which the Air Force chose three locations to present the proposal to the public—Carlsbad, Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces— the environmental impact statement will include the social, economic, cultural, natural history preservation and the Endangered Species Act.

"We chose three areas to scope and we look for population centers," Shafer said. "That's why Las Cruces was chosen for this portion.

"The scoping meeting helped us determine what's important to the public," he continued, "to know what we need to know for the EIS."

Referring to requests for having a scoping meeting in Silver City, Shafer said the Air Force doesn't yet have a plan on the west side. "To open scoping again would put us back at least a year to next year or a year-and-a-half or two or three."

He said the Holloman website has a page for comments, and the Air Force continues to review comments. Those wishing to comment may go to www.HollomanAFBAirspaceEIS.com. Comments may be mailed to: Holloman AFB Airspace EIS c/o Cardno, 501 Butler Farm Rd. Suite H, Hampton, VA 23666.

"It's really important we understand what is important," Shafer said. "We have heard about the social and economic, the land use and wildlife. We have heard about the Gila trout and the Rio Grande trout, which we didn't know about before. That helps us be informed. Scoping is the first phase and we are still accepting comments. We hear people in Silver City, and we are seriously considering adding locations when we have public hearings on the draft EIS. It's different from scoping. In the public hearings, you will have a draft to review. Any input is greatly appreciated and welcome. You will have 45 days to review the EIS. There are so many questions we haven't analyzed yet. If we don't do a good job, we want you to tell us. I'm sorry the Air Force didn't come to the area during the scoping."

The next article will address questions from the commissioners.

 

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