WENATCHEE – There will be an open house on Nov. 4 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Okanogan County PUD to discuss the proposed actions U.S. Navy Electronics Exercise Special Use Permit. U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Navy personnel will be present to answer questions from interested parties.

The U.S. Navy has applied for a special use permit on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to perform training exercises with a special electronic emitter to communicate directly with Navy aircraft flying overhead above 9,000 feet.

These exercises would take place on the Tonasket Ranger District intermittently, that is, a few to several days at a time per year, over the course of the permit life of five years. This communication exercise would take place between aircraft and ground based trucks driven on identified forest roads on the Ranger District. The U.S. Navy already completed an Environmental Assessment in August 2014 and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact. http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=45621

The U.S. Forest Service will begin a 30 day scoping period for public comment for the issuance of a special use permit for the use on National Forest System lands. The 30 day period begins with the publication of the legal notice in the Wenatchee World, the paper of record.

Those with questions on scoping, the comment process, the special use permit or on the public meeting should contact: Sara J. White, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Forest Environmental Coordinator, phone (509)-664-9232, Email sarajwhite@fs.fed.us, Office hours are 7:30 am to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.