Don’t forget, for those interested, representatives from the U.S. Air Force’s Holloman Air Force Base are scheduled to attend a special meeting of the Grant County Commission on Tuesday to discuss the environmental impact statement underway toward a proposed expansion of jet training flights farther southeast over the Gila National Forest and nearer Grant County communities. The commission has also changed up the schedule for the event to give folks a little more say.
Alternative two of a Holloman proposal to “optimize airspace in New Mexico,” according to base statements, by extending training flights for F-16s and the subsequent release of flares and chaff farther over the Gila National Forest — including the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness — has met pushback from the commission, the Silver City Town Council, environmental groups and a diverse group of residents since news broke in October. The Air Force completed the scoping period of the project without holding a single public meeting in Grant or Catron County, above which most of the expansion would be. Public meetings were held in Carlsbad, Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, but none of those were advertised in the Daily Press and local governments were not notified beforehand.
The meeting Tuesday will begin at 6 p.m. at the Grant County Administration Building, at 1400 U.S. 180 East in Silver City. At the County Commission’s Nov. 9 meeting, commission Chair Brett Kasten asked County Manager Charlene Webb to add a public comment section to the meeting’s agenda. Now, following the Holloman presentation and a question-and-answer period between representatives and the commission, members of the public in attendance will be able to publicly comment for three minutes each. Written comments will also be accepted.
New Mexico’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall joined Republican New Mexico Congressional District 2 U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce in releasing a public notice of the meeting. Both houses of Congress are scheduled to be in session on Tuesday, though, so staff will likely represent them.
Benjamin Fisher may be reached at email@example.com.