The U.S. Forest Service announced Friday that is slowing
down a Navy proposal to enhance jet training above the Olympic National
Forest.
For the second time, the Forest Service is extending a
public comment period on the Navy’s request to use forestland for
electronic warfare training that would benefit a growing fleet of EA-18
Growler jets based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
The Navy
wants to use up to 15 sites in the forest as temporary stations for
three trucks equipped with electronic communications gear. The jets
would be challenged to find electronic signals emitted by the trucks as
practice for the surveillance and radar-busting assignments handed to
Growler jets in war zones.
Hundreds of people have already
commented on the proposal, with many expressing concerns about how the
training would impact wildlife or the atmosphere of the forest.
Opponents protested outside of the Forest Service headquarters in Olympia on Oct. 24.
“I’ve
decided to extend the current public comment period to ensure the
public has plenty of time to share their thoughts,” said Forest Service
Pacific District Ranger Dean Millett in a news release. The new deadline
is Nov. 28.
The Navy on Nov. 6 is scheduled to a hold a public
meeting on the proposal in Port Angeles. It is to take place at 6 p.m.
at the City Council chambers, 321 E. Fifth St.
Training could take place up to 260 days a year, but the Navy says the trucks would be rotated among the 15 locations.
The
noise generated by the jets should not be noticeably different from the
sounds of Navy training that already occurs above the Olympic National
Forest, Navy officials told The News Tribune.
The
Navy has said it will take steps to protect forest users, such as
posting signs and shutting down training if people move into an exercise
area.
The Navy has 84 Growler jets stationed on Whidbey Island.
It wants to use the Olympic Peninsula for electronic warfare training
area as an alternative to a location 400 nautical miles away in Idaho.
How to comment
The U.S. Forest Service is gathering public comments on a Navy plan to expand training for electronic warfare jets in the Olympic National Forest until Nov. 28.
To read about the project and to comment, go to: http://go.usa.gov/785z
Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com
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