NOTICE OF PROJECT CHANGE Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range at the Known Distance (KD) Range Camp Edwards Joint Base Cape Cod Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts EOEEA #5834 Prepared For: Massachusetts Army National Guard Joint Force Headquarters Hanscom Air Force Base, MA 01731 31 January 2020 DEPARTMENTS OF THE ARMY AND THE AIR FORCE JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS MASSACHUSETTS NATIONAL GUARD OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL 2 RANDOLPH ROAD HANSCOM AFB, MA 01731-3001 31 January 2020 Ms. Tori Kim, MEPA Director Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs MEPA Office 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 Re: Notice of Project Change - EOEEA #5834 Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range Camp Edwards, Joint Base Cape Cod, Sandwich, Massachusetts Dear Ms. Kim: The Massachusetts Army National Guard (MAARNG) is pleased to present one original and one copy of a Notice of Project Change (NPC) for the Massachusetts Military Reservation Final Area-Wide Environmental Impact Report (EIR) of the Small Arms Range Improvement Project (SAR-IP). This NPC is being submitted for construction of the proposed Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range which will allow the MAARNG to efficiently attain required training and weapons qualifications requirements within Massachusetts and provide Soldiers and units the necessary modernized training capabilities to be effective in contemporary and future operating environments. This NPC was prepared in accordance with the Secretary’s Certificate dated 16 July 2001 which is included in the NPC. Certain projects and activities at Camp Edwards are subject to a Special Review Procedure (SRP) created and jointly executed by Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and the MAARNG so that the process under MEPA could be used more efficiently for the long-term use of Camp Edwards. Given the importance of the MPMG Range to the future operation and viability of the base, the MAARNG has taken its responsibilities under Massachusetts regulations extremely seriously. Therefore, the MAARNG has been working in close cooperation over the past two years with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) to determine mitigation of rare species habitat impacts as a result of the MPMG Range project. In addition, MAARNG has been in communication with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Environmental Management Commission (EMC), and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) relative to this project. The MAARNG has established a mutually respectful relationships with these agencies and the four towns in which Camp Edwards resides (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich). The MAARNG meets regularly with the EMC and its two supporting councils, the Science Advisory Council (SAC) and the Community Advisory Council (CAC) including pre-application meetings, development of presentations, public meeting facilitation, outreach, and informal and formal consultations. Documentation of agency coordination and meetings is detailed in the NPC. For Office Use Only Executive Office of Environmental Affairs The information requested on this form must be MEPA Analyst: Notice of Project Change Phone: 617-626- completed to begin MEPA Review of a NPC in accordance with the provisions of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations (see 301 CMR 11.10(1)). EEA #5834 Project Name: Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range Street Address: Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) Camp Edwards Municipality: Sandwich Watershed: Cape Cod Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: Latitude: 41.688526 372318.60 4616331.66 Longitude: -70.534237 Estimated commencement date: Spring 2020 Estimated completion date: Spring 2022 Project Type: Military Status of project design: 95 %complete Proponent: Massachusetts Army National Guard (MAARNG) Street Address: Joint Force Headquarters, 2 Randolph Road Municipality: Hanscom Air Force Base State: MA Zip Code: 01731 Name of Contact Person: Keith J. Driscoll Firm/Agency: MAARNG Street Address: 2 Randolph Road Municipality: Hanscom Air Force Base State: MA Zip Code: 01731 Phone: 339-202-3980 Fax: E-mail: [email protected] With this Notice of Project Change, are you requesting: a Single EIR? (see 301 CMR 11.06(8)) Yes No a Special Review Procedure? (see 301 CMR 11.09) Yes No a Waiver of mandatory EIR? (see 301 CMR 11.11) Yes No a Phase I Waiver? (see 301 CMR 11.11) Yes No Which MEPA review threshold(s) does the project meet or exceed (see 301 CMR 11.03)? • (1)(a)1. (Land) Direct alternation of 50 or more acres of land. • (2)(b)2. (Rare Species) Greater than two acres of disturbance in designated priority habitat that results in a take of state-listed endangered or threatened species of species of special concern. Under Camp Edwards Environmental Performance Standards • New buildings that exceed 500 s.f. • Clearing of at least two acres of vegetation Which State Agency Permits will the project require? • Conservation and Management Permit from Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) Identify any financial assistance or land transfer from an Agency of the Commonwealth, including the Agency name and the amount of funding or land area in acres: Proponent is an Agency of the Commonwealth. 1 PROJECT INFORMATION In 25 words or less, what is the project change? The project change involves . The construction and operation of a Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) Range required in order to meet qualification and pre-validation of deploying units. See full project change description beginning on page 3. Date of publication of availability of the ENF in the Environmental Monitor: (Date: January 1986) Was an EIR required? Yes No; if yes, was a Draft EIR filed? Yes (Date: December 1996) No was a Final EIR filed? Yes (Date: June 2001) No was a Single EIR filed? Yes (Date: ) No Have other NPCs been filed? Yes (Date(s): ) No 15 February 2006, 15 September 2006, 9 July 2007, 23 December 2009, 6 April 2011, and 15 January 2013 If this is a NPC solely for lapse of time (see 301 CMR 11.10(2)) proceed directly to ATTACHMENTS & SIGNATURES. PERMITS / FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE / LAND TRANSFER List or describe all new or modified state permits, financial assistance, or land transfers not previously reviewed: dd w/ list of State Agency Actions (e.g., Agency Project, Financial Assistance, Land Transfer, List of Permits) Conservation and Management Permit from NHESP Are you requesting a finding that this project change is insignificant? A change in a Project is ordinarily insignificant if it results solely in an increase in square footage, linear footage, height, depth or other relevant measures of the physical dimensions of the Project of less than 10% over estimates previously reviewed, provided the increase does not meet or exceed any review thresholds. A change in a Project is also ordinarily insignificant if it results solely in an increase in impacts of less than 25% of the level specified in any review threshold, provided that cumulative impacts of the Project do not meet or exceed any review thresholds that were not previously met or exceeded. (see 301 CMR 11.10(6)) Yes No; if yes, provide an explanation of this request in the Project Change Description below. Project is subject to a Special Review Procedure. FOR PROJECTS SUBJECT TO AN EIR If the project requires the submission of an EIR, are you requesting that a Scope in a previously issued Certificate be rescinded? Yes No; if yes, provide an explanation of this request_______________. If the project requires the submission of an EIR, are you requesting a change to a Scope in a previously issued Certificate? Yes No; if yes, provide an explanation of this request_______________. 2 SUMMARY OF PROJECT CHANGE PARAMETERS AND IMPACTS Summary of Project Size Previously Net Change Currently & Environmental Impacts reviewed Proposed LAND Total site acreage 38.5 +160.5 209.0 Acres of land altered 38.5 +160.5 209.0 Acres of impervious area 0.9 -0.8 0.1 Square feet of bordering vegetated NA NA NA wetlands alteration Square feet of other wetland alteration NA NA NA Acres of non-water dependent use of NA NA NA tidelands or waterways STRUCTURES ~3,595 s.f. total 585 s.f. +3,010 s.f. Gross square footage (six buildings) Number of housing units NA NA NA 20’ (existing Range 27’ (Range 7’ Maximum height (in feet) Control Tower) Control Tower) TRANSPORTATION Vehicle trips per day NA NA NA Parking spaces NA NA NA WATER/WASTEWATER Gallons/day (GPD) of water use NA NA NA GPD water withdrawal NA NA NA GPD wastewater generation/ treatment NA NA NA Length of water/sewer mains (in miles) NA NA NA Does the project change involve any new or modified: 1. conversion of public parkland or other Article 97 public natural resources to any purpose not in accordance with Article 97? Yes No 2. release of any conservation restriction, preservation restriction, agricultural preservation restriction, or watershed preservation restriction? Yes No 3. impacts on Rare Species? Yes No 4. demolition of all or part of any structure, site or district listed in the State Register of Historic Place or the inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth? Yes No 5. impact upon an Area of Critical Environmental Concern? Yes No If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these 5 questions, explain below: 3 Within the MPMG Range footprint, the work will result in the disturbance of approximately 170.5 acres of pine barrens habitat that include Pitch Pine Oak Forest (PPOF), Pitch Pine Scrub Oak (PPSO), and Scrub Oak Shrubland (SOS). NHESP has determined that, as a result of the construction and operation of the MPMG Range, there will be a "take" of several State-listed lepidopterans (moths and butterfly) species identified on the site, and that there could potentially be a "take" of Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina), Eastern Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus), and sandplain grassland bird species.