Navy Warfare Training on the Olympic Peninsula

From https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/north-olympic/navy-warfare-training-olympic-peninsula

Sierra Club's North Olympic Group believes these multiple Navy proposals — often delivered with little publicity or substantive public process, represent a piecemeal, fragmented approach that obscures the larger issues and impacts and, as a result, fails to adhere to NEPA's requirements for identifying and mitigating potential environmental impacts.

Navy Announcement (August 22, 2017)

The Department of the Navy (Navy) announces its intent to prepare a supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing Final EIS/OEIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with military readiness activities, including training and research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereafter referred to as “training and testing”) activities conducted within the EIS/OEIS Study Area (hereafter referred to as the “Study Area”). As part of this process, the Navy will seek the issuance of federal regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to support future military readiness activities within the Study Area beyond 2020.

Forest Service Green Lights ‘Growler’ Jet Flights Over Olympic National Park - by National Parks Conservation Association (August 1, 2017)

In a move that endangers natural quiet in Olympic National Park, the U.S. Forest Service approved a permit for the U.S. Navy to use roads just outside the park in support of electronic warfare training for “Growler” fighter jets.

In releasing its decision notice, the Forest Service found that installing mobile signal transmitter trucks in Olympic National Forest to aid U.S. Navy fighter jet training missions would pose no significant environmental impacts. The Navy proposal calls for increased jet training flights over portions of Olympic National Park, including the popular Hoh Rain Forest and wilderness beaches.

Below is a statement by Rob Smith, Northwest Regional Director for National Parks Conservation Association

“National Parks Conservation Association is disappointed that the Forest Service has chosen to listen to Navy jets rather than the public, and is subjecting Olympic National Park visitors and wildlife to increased overhead aircraft noise. Noisy fighter jets, aptly known as ‘Growlers’, flying over Olympic National Park will degrade one of our countries quietest places – Olympic National Park – as well as surrounding communities and public lands.

“The Navy has alternative locations for these training missions which do not involve flying over Olympic National Park. While the Navy has other options, there is only one Olympic National Park, one of the most natural sounding places left in the contiguous United States, and the most visited national park in the Northwest. The Olympics should sound like a national park, not a Navy airbase.

“We will carefully review the Forest Service decision and continues to urge the Navy to use other locations to meet its training needs.”

U.S. Forest Service Approves a Special Use Permit for the U.S. Navy in Support of Electronic Warfare Training on Olympic National Forest Roads (July 31, 2017)

Official U.S. Forest Service Announcement: "We want to let you know that a decision was made to authorize issuance of a Special Use Permit that would allow the U.S. Navy to conduct ground-to-air training using mobile electronic transmitters from eleven designated roadside locations on the Pacific Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest for a period of up to five years.