[CPEO-MEF] Army outlines $270M in upgrades for Fort Polk

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The following article can be viewed online at:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/news/html/79AF2919-D9DB-4E74-BFD7-4BEF7868B65E.shtml

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Louisiana
THE LAFAYETTE DAILY ADVERTISER
Army outlines $270M in upgrades for Fort Polk
The Associated Press
August 28, 2003

ALEXANDRIA (AP) — An environmental impact statement outlining $270
million in major changes at Fort Polk and England Airpark is now
available to the public.

On Tuesday, 10 exhibits ringed England Airpark’s community center as the
Army, the U.S. Forest Service and Federal Aviation Administration
spokes-persons stood by to explain to the public the future projects and
the impact on England Airpark and National Forest lands.

“Half the land Fort Polk uses for military training is actually managed
by the Kisatchie National Forest,” said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman
Cynthia Dancak.

“Part of the environmental impact statement not only looks at the
effects of the Stryker and the military training, and what it means for
transformation of the Army, but what those impacts are on the land in
the Kisatchie National Forest,” Dancak said.

The exhibits showed the expected environmental impact to Fort Polk and
England Airpark of the U.S. Army’s plans to transform the 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment at Fort Polk to support the Army’s new Stryker brigade
vehicles.

The statement also addresses reauthorization of the Army’s long-term use
of Kisatchie National Forest, including plans to thin the forest to
improve habitat conditions for the red-cockade woodpecker.

“We have 20 construction projects included in the environmental impact
statement, all that will support both transformation of the 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment and the Joint Readiness Training Center,” said Stacy
Basham-Wagner, spokeswoman.

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