56 RMO Briefing to ITRC

1
56th Fighter Wing
Interagency Collaboration at the Barry M.
Goldwater Range
Mr. Chas Buchanan Director of Operations 56th
Range Management Office
I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l
l e n c e
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Overview

• Background Information
• Formation of the Interagency Team
• Recovery of the Sonoran Pronghorn
• Response to Undocumented Aliens
• Conclusion

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BMGR Complex
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BMGR-E Specifics

• 1.05 M acres land / 1.8 M acres restricted
  airspace

• Capability
• 4 Manned ranges
• 3 Tactical ranges
• 5 live target areas
• Uniqueness
• No mining
• No grazing
• No agriculture
• No residential
• No air routes
• Consulting agencies
• Cabeza Prieta NWR
• Organ Pipe CNM
• USMC
• BLM

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Strategic Importance

• Luke Only Active USAF F-16
  Training Unit
• 450 Students per year (3 yr avg)

• Davis Monthan Only A-10 Training Unit
• 150 Students per year (3 yr avg)
• Tucson Largest ANG F-16 Training Unit
• 180 Students per year (3 yr avg)

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BMGR Complex User Scope Irreplaceable National
Training Asset

• Regular Users 23 Flying Squadrons
• 56 FW / 944 FW (Luke) 9 x F-16 Sq
• 162 FW (Tucson) 4 x F-16 Sq
• Snowbirds Guard / FMS
• 355 WG (DM) 3 x A-10 Sq
• 563 RQG (CSAR) MC-130 / HH-60 / SERE
• 305 RQS (AFRC) HH-60
• WAATS (Silverbell) 2 x AH-64 Co
• 1 - 285th BN AH-64 Co

Exercises WTI, JAGCE OTHER USERS Navy, USMC,
Army, other USAF
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Scope of Use Aviation

• Military Aviation Activities Sorties/year
  (FY04)
• BMGR East Users (USAF) 46,000
• BMGR E Complex (incl Sells) 60,000
• BMGR West Users (USMC) 18,000

1,000

• Other Aviation Activities
• DHS Customs and Border Protection
• US Fish Wildlife Service
• Arizona Game Fish Dept

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Minimal Surface Disturbance
Natural 87 features/processes
dominate landscape
Negligible 7 disturbance natural
features dominate landscape
Natural features 4processes still
dominate - military use is apparent
Military 1.8surface use dominates
landscape
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Team Formation

• Goldwater Range is BLM withdrawn land
• 1986 BLM assigned land management, began
  developing management plan
• Very high public interest and involvement
• Mid-1990s Public still interested, but few
  meetings
• Complaints agencies all doing their own thing
• Gaps and overlaps
• Late 1996 BLM meetings for whoever was
  interested
• Well attended by the public and interest groups
• Agency reps two BLM offices, Air Force, Marine
  Corps, Arizona Game Fish Dept, Cabeza Prieta
  National Wildlife Refuge
• Topics included agency updates, QA with the
  public, open dialogue

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Team Formation

• Late 1990s confluence of events
• Expiring land withdrawal required Environmental
  Impact Statement to Congress for renewal
• Air Force needed others as cooperating agencies
• EIS triggered need for many environmental studies
• Endangered Sonoran pronghorn on range subject of
  lawsuits and consultations with USFWS
• High level of public interest but from people
  with divergent perspectives
• Conservation, recreation, etc.

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Team Formation

• 1997 Strengthen our alliances
• Formalized the Partners Group agencies into a
  cooperative forum
• Established the BMGR Executive Council (BEC)
• Drafted a charter, signed an MOU
• Agreed on participants, chairmanship, meeting
  venues
• Information exchange for better management

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Team Formation

• BMGR Executive Council (BEC)
• An advisory group
• Each agency retains its authorities
• Information sharing and coordination
• Established subcommittees to focus on topics
• Law Enforcement
• Transportation
• Public Relations
• Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Team

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Team Formation

• BMGR Executive Council (BEC)
• Consultative management

Ron Pearce Range Management MCAS Yuma
Jim Uken Director, 56 RMO Luke AFB
Kathy Billings Superintendent Organ Pipe Nat
Monument
Duane Shroufe Director, AZ Game Fish
Roger DiRosa, Manager Cabeza Prieta NWR, USFWS
Terry Raml Director, Sonoran Desert NM BLM,
Phoenix
Tom Zale Field Manager, BLM Yuma
Mark Haynes US Border Patrol, Yuma
Maurice Moore US Border Patrol, Tucson
Martin Vaughan CBP-Air
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Team Formation

• Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999 (MLWA)
• Mandated formation of the Interagency Executive
  Council (IEC)
• Institutionalized the Partners Meeting
• New IEC charter
• Members included tribes and local governments
• AF hired an Interagency Coordinator and
  administrator
• IEC meetings continue to meet 3 times annually
• Meeting location rotates Yuma, Tucson, Phoenix
  metro
• Cabeza Prieta NWR manager is IEC chair

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Team Formation

• Arizona Commanders Summit
• Began in 2000 as an AF initiative to address
  military training issues on Goldwater Range
• Initial membership included primary users of the
  range
• Commanders recognized many issues of common
  concern
• Encroachment, environmental issues, community
  relations
• Expanded membership and focus to include
  commanders of all installations in Arizona
• Signed a charter,
• Meeting venue rotates among installations
• Host also invites local town mayor

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Teamwork Results

• Issues Resolved Through Interagency
  Collaboration
• Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery
• Undocumented Aliens

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Teamwork Results

• Sonoran pronghorn
• Endangered species since 1967
• US population on BMGR, Cabeza Prieta NWR, Organ
  Pipe, and BLM land
• Perilous population decline due to long-term
  drought
• 1998 about 140 animals
• 2002 about 21 animals
• Emergency measures required to prevent
  extinction

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Teamwork Results

• Sonoran pronghorn emergency measures
• Water stations provide supplemental water
• Forage enhancement plots
• Well water used to irrigate small patches during
  critical times
• Prolongs the naturally green patches into the
  critical early summer
• Collaborative interagency effort to identify
  potential locations, complete environmental
  assessment
• Four of five plots complete and in operation
• Collaborative pool of funds for ongoing OM

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Teamwork Results

• Sonoran pronghorn emergency measures
• Semi-captive breeding enclosure

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Teamwork Results

• Sonoran pronghorn emergency measures
• Semi-captive breeding enclosure
• 1 sq mile enclosure, subdivided into quadrants
• Well water to irrigate forage, plus supplemental
  feed
• Does from Mexico sub-population provide genetic
  diversity
• Bucks captured from US sub-population
• Collaborative pool of funds for ongoing OM
• Successful results
• Year 1 10 fawns, 6 survived
• Year 2 10 fawns, 9 survived

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Teamwork Results

• Sonoran pronghorn emergency measures
• Semi-captive breeding enclosure
• The key to recovery of the population
• Similar setup in Mexico produces over 50 fawns
  annually
• Interagency planning for establishing a second
  population elsewhere (Kofa NWR)
• Protects against calamity of disease or natural
  disaster
• All results achieved through collaborative
  efforts!

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Teamwork Results

• Undocumented Aliens (UDA)
• 1990s inhospitable Sonoran Desert was a natural
  barrier
• Increased Border Patrol response in California
  displaced UDA traffic to porous desert crossings
  
• Booming US economy plus economic shift in Mexico
• Resulted in demand and supply of labor
• Post- 9/11 Greatly increased Border Patrol
  response
• Significant increase in number of agents plus
  other resources
• Seemingly out-matched by increasing UDA traffic

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Teamwork Results

• Undocumented Aliens (UDA)
• Impacts of UDA traffic and USBP response
• Environmental trammeling of desert lands
• Military ops disruption of military training
  activities
• Solution better support for USBP and its mission
• DHS reps join the BMGR Executive Council
• USBP Tucson
• USBP Yuma
• Customs Border Protection -- Air
• Borderlands Management Task Force addresses DHS
  mission on federal lands

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Teamwork Results

• Undocumented Aliens (UDA)
• Collaborative assistance to DHS
• Shared regional geographical information system
  data
• Supported installation of emergency beacons
• Rescue me call stations for UDAs in distress
• Supported DHS air operations
• Established air operations protocol
• Supported unmanned aerial vehicle ops
• Working increased regional air ops
• Coordinated law enforcement activities

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Teamwork Results

• Undocumented Aliens (UDA)
• Successful interagency collaboration
• Better understanding of the DHS mission
• Better support for their activities
• Reduced impact on our mission

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Conclusion

• Interagency collaboration is beneficial to all
• Coordination de-conflicts our actions
• Collaboration produces synergy
• Recognition of BMGR Executive Council
• BLM Directors Four Cs Award (Apr 2004)
• Consultation, Cooperation, Communication, and
  Conservation

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56th Range Management Office

• Support flying operations and pilot training,
  incorporating dedicated stewardship
  of the natural and cultural resources entrusted
  to our care.

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AMERICAS AIR FORCE- NO ONE COMES CLOSE