Naval Air Station Fallon hosted several public meetings during the week of Oct. 3 to introduce the public to the Navy's proposed plan to modernize the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC).

The scoping meetings were a chance for the public to comment on the proposed training range expansion and modification as part of the FRTC Modernization Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

Meetings were held in Fallon, Lovelock, Reno, Austin, Eureka, Hawthorne, and Gabbs. They were designed to allow the public to see the details of the Navy's proposal and comment for the record. Each meeting included poster stations manned by subject matter experts, comment cards, and a stenographer to take down verbal comments. In addition, NAS Fallon Commanding Officer Capt. David Halloran, and Alex Stone, the Pacific Fleet lead for the EIS, gave a short presentation on the tactical training reasons for the range modernization.

"The Fallon Range Training Complex has not been modified since the 90s," said Halloran. "The weapons that we train with today are far more technologically advanced than those of 30 years ago, and can be employed from much greater distances. These advanced weapons enable our aviators to maintain safer distances from enemy threats, which translate to improved survivability for the aircraft and the air crew."

The proposal includes increased withdrawals of lands around the B-16, B-17, and B-20 bombing ranges, as well as moving control of public lands in Dixie Valley from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the Navy.

Local land owners, cattle ranchers, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, Native American Tribal members, and wild horse and burro proponents attended the meetings. While the turnout for each meeting varied somewhat by location, concerned citizens were able to ask questions and make comments on the Navy's proposal.

"It was good to get a strong turnout to the scoping meetings," said Rob Rule, NAS Fallon's community plans and liaison officer. "This will be a process that stretches for several years, and we need public involvement at each step."

The 90-day public scoping period began Aug. 26 and ends Nov. 25. All comments are encouraged, and will become part of the Environmental Impact Study conducted by the Navy to assess any impacts to people and the environment. Comments can be made by visiting the project website which details all aspects of the proposal at http://www.FRTCModernization.com/.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Air Station Fallon, visit http://www.navy.mil/.