FARMINGTON — An opportunity for the public to weigh in on the Air National Guard’s draft environmental impact statement on low altitude flight training over western Maine will take place Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Condor 1 and 2 military operations areas are used by the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard in Westfield, Mass. The Condor spaces cover portions of Franklin, Oxford, Piscataquis and Somerset counties in Maine and a part of Coos County in New Hampshire.

Proposed changes to the Condor space would drop flight levels from 7,000 feet above sea level, or approximately 2,800 to 6,300 feet above the ground, to 500 feet above the ground. Alternative plans considered include lowering the level of the present Condor 1 and leaving Condor 2 unchanged or taking no action.

The alternative plans of using other Northeast airspaces and deployment to other bases were “eliminated from the list of reasonable alternatives,” according to the report.

The 172-page draft statement is available for public review and comment until Sept. 23 and may be viewed or downloaded online at Maine Department of Transportation’s Web site (http://www.maine.gov/mdot/angcondor/index.htm). It is also available at the Rangeley and Rumford public libraries and libraries in Somerset County and Pittsburg, N.H.

The Sept. 2 meeting scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. in Lincoln Auditorium at UMF includes a presentation of new information but is reserved mostly for the public hearing, Maj. Stephen Lippert said.

Five previous meetings have been held including two in Farmington, and those in Rangeley, Rumford and Mexico. After hearing public response and from the governor and other elected officials, the environmental impact statement was requested.

The proposed change would enable F-15 and F-16 pilots to complete necessary low altitude awareness training. Pilots need to show the ability to identify and engage aerial targets at low altitude and perform low altitude navigation, tactical formation and defensive maneuvering to avoid or negate threats to be ready for combat missions, according to the Air National Guard.

During previous meetings, the public has raised concerns about noise, air safety for local pilots, the effect on tourism and the local economy and on agriculture and wildlife within the Condors.

In the EIS draft summary, the Air National Guard has determined that the proposed change provides efficient training for the 104 Flight Wing with no significant impact on safety, noise, air quality, land use, biological, socioeconomic or cultural resources.

Public comments from the Sept. 2 hearing and written comments on the draft statement received by Sept. 23 will be considered as part of the EIS.

To submit a written comment contact: Lt. Col. Mike Milord, NGB Public Affairs, Jefferson Plaza One, Ste, 11200, 1411 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202 or e-mail: [email protected]

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