58th SOW Low-Dust Helicopter Landing Zone Final Environmental Assessment

Abstract : This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared by the United States (U.S.) Air Force (Air Force or USAF) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. It presents an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts associated with acquiring and operating a new low-dust Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ) in New Mexico (NM) for the 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW), a unit of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). This low-dust HLZ would be primarily used by CV-22 tilt-rotor and HH-60 rotary aircraft operating from Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) in Albuquerque, NM (Figure 1-1). Occasional use would also be undertaken by the UH-1, also based at Kirtland AFB.