Aviation and Safety Requirements for the Runway Protection Zone at Fallon NAS

Fallon NAS is governed by aviation safety and operational standards  established by DOD for runway protection zones. Fallon NAS Limited Its Detailed Consideration to Three Alternatives

In arriving at the land management strategy for Fallon NAS, the Navy  considered three alternatives in detail. As many as 11 different land management strategies were identified by  Fallon NAS officials at the outset. These strategies were eliminated because  the officials believed that they would be environmentally or economically  unacceptable or would cause unacceptable operational or safety  impairments. They also felt that the strategies would be expensive to  maintain and would not provide a “soft” landing for any aircraft accident. Of the eight land management strategies, five were eliminated because  Fallon NAS officials believed those strategies did not meet the evaluation  criteria. Fallon NAS officials selected the first strategy: conventional farming with  water conservation practices. At the time, these officials believed that the  advantages of this strategy were the very high probability that it would  satisfy the safety goals for the greenbelt for the long term and provide  moderate water savings. Land Management Strategies Varied at Military Facilities and Commercial Airports Visited

The land management strategies varied at the seven other military facilities  and commercial airports we visited. All were located in environments  similar to Fallon NAS'. Two military facilities used greenbelts, while the  other five did not. DOD also stated that the report  did not mention the value of the Navy's use of irrigation water to the local  community for agriculture and to enhancement of the safety of the Navy's  operations. 2.) 3.) Land Use

The China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station operates its airstrips in desert  terrain. 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) Land use  surrounding the airport varies. After follow-up discussions with  Navy officials and with Senator Reid's office, we undertook this review to  provide information on (1) the aviation safety and operational  requirements for the runway protection zone at Fallon NAS, (2) the  alternative land use strategies Fallon NAS identified in response to  congressional direction and how it evaluated them, and (3) the current land  use strategies at five military facilities and two commercial airports that  operate in similar environments. To determine the land use strategies Fallon NAS identified and how it  evaluated them in selecting the greenbelt approach, we obtained Fallon  NAS' Natural Resources Management Plan, its Environmental Assessment  for Management of the Greenbelt Area, and a study by the U.S. Department  of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Plant Materials  Trials on Revegetation of Abandoned Farmland.” We interviewed Fallon  NAS and Conservation Service officials on the results of these studies.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on alternative land uses that could save water at Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada, focusing on: (1) the aviation safety and operational requirements for the runway protection zone at Fallon Naval Air Station (NAS); (2) the alternative land use strategies Fallon NAS identified in response to congressional direction and how it evaluated them; and (3) the land use strategies at five military facilities and two commercial airports that operate in similar environments.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) Fallon NAS must comply with the Department of Defense's (DOD) aviation safety and operational requirements for runway protection zones; (2) these requirements specify the maximum safe heights for buildings, towers, poles, and other possible obstructions to air navigation; (3) under these requirements, where possible, areas immediately beyond the ends of runways and along primary flight paths should be developed sparsely, if at all, to limit the risk from a possible aircraft accident; (4) at Fallon NAS, the agricultural and other low-density land uses are compatible with air operations; (5) the land surrounding the airfield is owned by the Navy and leased to farmers for agricultural use, which is permitted by DOD; (6) Fallon NAS gave detailed consideration to three land management strategies in developing its approach to managing land in the runway protection zone in the early 1990s; (7) each of these strategies involved irrigating the greenbelt; (8) as many as 11 different land management strategies were identified at the outset, but three of them were eliminated before an initial screening because Fallon NAS officials believed they would be environmentally or economically unacceptable or would cause unacceptable operational or safety impairments; (9) Fallon NAS officials eliminated five of the remaining eight strategies prior to a detailed analysis because they believed the strategies did not meet the Navy's evaluation criteria, which were based on provisions of the law; (10) the criteria Fallon NAS used in evaluating these land management strategies were based on the officials' assessment of whether the strategies would minimize dust, bird strikes, fire and other hazards, would enhance air safety, and, to a lesser extent, would reduce the amount of irrigation water used; (11) after a detailed analysis and the application of these criteria, Fallon NAS officials selected the strategy that involves conventional farming combined with water conservation practices because they believed it would have a very high probability of satisfying the safety goals while providing moderate water savings compared with the air station's historical usage; (12) at the seven other military facilities and commercial airports GAO visited, the land management strategies varied--two used strategies involving greenbelts, while five did not; and (13) the military facilities and commercial airports operating in desert-like conditions similar to Fallon NAS' have employed land management strategies that have resulted in water savings.