WWALS got a paper letter dated May 16, 2023, which says, “The [Department of the Air Force (DAF)] is publishing a Notice of Availablitlity (NOA) in the Federal Register announcing the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Comprehensive Airspace Initiative at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The publication of the NOA on 19 May 2023 begins a 30-day waiting period that closes on 18 June 2023.”

Proposed Action & Alternatives, Moody AFB EIS

Apparently you can still send in comments during that 30-day period, but since there has been a long previous public comment period, it does not seem likely many further changes will be made.

All the documents are available from:
https://moodyafbairspaceeis.com/

They are also available at a dozen public libraries, although curiously not in Valdosta.

The website does not seem to say how to comment, but the letter says:

Questions concerning the Final EIS or the NEPA process can be directed to Moody AFB Public Affairs Office by calling 229-460-8034 or emailing 23wg.pa@us.aif.mil.

The original Notice of Intent in the Federal Register of November 29, 2019 says:

The public and interested parties can submit their comments through the project website at www.moodyafbairspaceeis.com;
mail comments to AFCEC/CZN, Attn: Moody AFB Comprehensive Airspace Initiative, 2261 Hughes Avenue, Suite 155, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236–9853; FedEx and UPS deliveries to AFCEC/CZN, Attn: Moody AFB Comprehensive Airspace Initiative; 3515 S General McMullen, San Antonio, TX 78226–9853;
and/or attend the public scoping meeting.

The public scoping meeting was in Tifton in 2019.

For more background, see DEIS Virtual Public Hearing for Moody AFB Airspace modifications 2020-10-29. For example, while all the maps with the EIS seems to stop at the GA-FL line, Moody AFB does fly into Florida, as well. Apparently the EIS is only changing airspace in Georgia, not Florida.

No Action Alternative.

There would be no changes to the existing special use airspace. Under the No Action Alternative, the operational floors of the Moody Airspace Complex would remain at 10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) in R-3008D; 8,000 feet MSL in the Corsair North, Corsair South, Hawg North, Hawg South, Mustang, Sabre, Thud, and Warhawk Military Operations Areas (MOAs); at 500 feet above ground level (AGL) in the Moody 2 North MOA and R-3008C; at 100 feet AGL in the Moody 2 South MOA and R-3008B; and at the surface in R-3008A.

Apparently I live in the Sabre MOA, which the map says has an Airspace Floor of 8,000′ MSL. Which is curious, because Moody aircraft use my solar panels as a land mark (confirmed with Moody AFB) and they fly at most a few hundred feet off the ground.

Sabre MOA from the GA-FL line through Valdosta, Moody AFB, Tifton, to Albany, mostly Withlacoochee and Little River Basins, plus some Alapaha and Flint

Sabre MOA is unchanged under all the alternatives.

Apparently also unchanged are R-3006A, R-3006D, and Moody 3 MOA.

R-3006A above Moody AFB in the Alapaha River Basin

R-3006D Moody AFB to Lakeland and Naylor in the Alapaha River Basin

Moody 2 South MOA in the Alapaha River Basin

Moody 3 MOA in the Ochlockhonee and Flint River Basins

Alternative 1. New Military Operations Areas with a 1,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area.

New low-altitude MOAs would be charted beneath and within the lateral confines of existing MOAs and Restricted Areas of the Moody Airspace Complex:

• The Corsair North Low, Corsair South Low, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs would be created with a floor of 1,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL. These new MOAs would be created beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Corsair North, Corsair South, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs, respectively.
• The Thud Low MOA would be created with a floor of 4,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Thud MOA.
• A Grand Bay MOA would be created with a floor of 100 feet AGL and a ceiling of 499 feet AGL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Restricted Area R 3008C.
• The floor of the existing Moody 2 North MOA would be lowered from 500 feet AGL to 100 feet AGL.

Under Alternative 1, there would be neither a change in the number of sorties at Moody AFB airfield nor would there be any change in the number of aircraft operations in the Moody Airspace Complex. However, there would be a change in the distribution of training operations at low altitudes within the Moody Airspace Complex, as training operations at low altitude currently limited to Moody 2 North and Moody 2 South MOAs would be redistributed to the new low-altitude MOAs. There would be no change in the quantity or type of defensive countermeasures used during training; however, chaff and flares would be permitted for use within the new proposed low-altitude MOAs except for the Corsair North Low MOA where the use of chaff would not be permitted. The use of flares would be limited to 2,000 feet AGL. No ordnance, other than chaff and flares, would be expended in the new low-altitude MOAs. There would be no change in urban Close Air Support training operations.

Under Alternative 1, Modified Alternative 1, Alternative 2, and Alternative 3, it is estimated that 134 operations would occur between 500 feet AGL and 100 feet AGL in each of the Moody 2 North and the Grand Bay MOAs.

Alternative 1. New Military Operations Areas with a 1,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area

Alternatives 1, 2, and 3, but not Modified Alternative 1, create a Thud Low MOA.

Thud Low MOA: Lake Blackshear and Cordele in the Flint Basin to Ashburn and the top of the Little and Alapaha River Basins

All the alternatives include lower limits on the Moody 2 North MOA, and a new Grand Bay MOA.

Moody 2 North MOA: South from Willacoochee and Pearson, east of Lakeland through Homerville

Grand Bay MOA: Created around Lakeland, south on GA 135 in the Alapaha River Basin

Modified Alternative 1. New Military Operations Areas with a 1,000-Foot AGL Floor with Modified Lateral Boundaries, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area.

Modified Alternative 1 is a variation of Alternative 1, which was originally described in the Draft EIS. Modified Alternative 1 would be smaller than the Alternative 1 low-altitude airspace configuration. New low-altitude MOAs would be charted beneath and within the lateral confines of existing MOAs and Restricted Areas of the Moody Airspace Complex similar to those described for Alternative 1, but with different (smaller) lateral boundaries:

• The Corsair North Low, Corsair South Low, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs would be created with a floor of 1,000 feet AGL and a ceiling up to but not including 8,000 feet MSL. These new MOAs would be created beneath the existing Corsair North, Corsair South, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs, respectively. The Corsair South Low MOA would be within the same lateral confines as the Corsair South MOA; however, the Corsair North Low, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs would have reduced lateral confines relative to the overlying Corsair North, Mustang, and Warhawk MOAs.
• The Warhawk Low and Mustang Low MOAs would always be activated concurrently during training operations.
• The Thud Low MOA would not be created.
• A Grand Bay MOA would be created with a floor of 100 feet AGL and a ceiling up to but not including 500 feet AGL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Restricted Area R-3008C.
• The floor of the existing Moody 2 North MOA would be lowered from 500 feet AGL to 100 feet AGL.

Compared to Alternative 1, Modified Alternative 1 would reduce the lateral confines of the proposed action area by approximately 42 percent, but it would maintain 1,000-foot AGL MOAs to support the redistribution of low-altitude training operations from the Moody 2 North and Moody 2 South MOAs. Other than the changes to the lateral confines of the proposed low-altitude MOAs, all other aspects of Modified Alternative 1 are the same as described for Alternative 1.

Under Alternative 1, Modified Alternative 1, Alternative 2, and Alternative 3, it is estimated that 134 operations would occur between 500 feet AGL and 100 feet AGL in each of the Moody 2 North and the Grand Bay MOAs.

Modified Alternative 1. New Military Operations Areas with a 1,000-Foot AGL Floor with Modified Lateral Boundaries, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area

Alternative 2. New Military Operations Areas with a 2,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area.

New low-altitude MOAs would be charted beneath and within the lateral confines of existing MOAs and Restricted Areas of the Moody Airspace Complex:

• The Corsair North Low, Corsair South Low, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs would be created with a floor of 2,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL. These new MOAs would be created beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Corsair North, Corsair South, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs, respectively.
• The Thud Low MOA would be created with a floor of 4,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Thud MOA.
• A Grand Bay MOA would be created with a floor of 100 feet AGL and a ceiling of 499 feet AGL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Restricted Area R-3008C.
• The floor of the existing Moody 2 North MOA would be lowered from 500 feet AGL to 100 feet AGL.

Besides the creation of new low-altitude MOAs with an altitude floor of 2,000 feet AGL instead of 1,000 feet AGL, all other aspects of Alternative 2 are the same as described for Alternative 1.

Under this alternative, there would be neither a change in the number of sorties at Moody AFB airfield nor would there be any change in the number of aircraft operations in the Moody Airspace Complex. However, there would be a change in the distribution of training operations at low altitudes within the Moody Airspace Complex, as training operations at low altitude currently limited to Moody 2 North and Moody 2 South MOAs would be redistributed to the new low-altitude MOAs.

Under Alternative 1, Modified Alternative 1, Alternative 2, and Alternative 3, it is estimated that 134 operations would occur between 500 feet AGL and 100 feet AGL in each of the Moody 2 North and the Grand Bay MOAs.

Alternative 2. New Military Operations Areas with a 2,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area

All the alternatives create, with various altitude limit, the Corsair North and South, Mustang, and Warhawk Low MOAs.

Corsair North Low MOA: Around Moultrie

Corsair South Low MOA: Between Thomasville and Valdosta through QUitman in the Ocholockonee and Withlacoochee River Basins

Mustang Low MOA: East of Ashburn in the Alapaha and Altamaha River Basins

Warhawk Low MOA: Around Fitzgerald

Alternative 3. New Military Operations Areas with a 4,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area.

New low-altitude MOAs would be charted beneath and within the lateral confines of existing MOAs and Restricted Areas of the Moody Airspace Complex:

• The Corsair North Low, Corsair South Low, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs would be created with a floor of 4,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL. These new MOAs would be created beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Corsair North, Corsair South, Mustang Low, and Warhawk Low MOAs, respectively.
• The Thud Low MOA would be created with a floor of 4,000 feet AGL and a ceiling of 7,999 feet MSL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Thud MOA.
• A Grand Bay MOA would be created with a floor of 100 feet AGL and a ceiling of 499 feet AGL beneath and within the lateral confines of the existing Restricted Area R-3008C.
• The floor of the existing Moody 2 North MOA would be lowered from 500 feet AGL to 100 feet AGL.

Besides the creation of new low-altitude MOAs with an altitude floor of 4,000 feet AGL instead of 1,000 feet AGL, all other aspects of Alternative 3 are the same as described for Alternative 1.

Under this alternative, there would be neither a change in the number of sorties at Moody AFB airfield nor would there be any change in the number of aircraft operations in the Moody Airspace Complex. However, there would be a change in the distribution of training operations at low altitudes within the Moody Airspace Complex, as training operations at low altitude currently limited to Moody 2 North and Moody 2 South MOAs would be redistributed to the new low-altitude MOAs.

Under Alternative 1, Modified Alternative 1, Alternative 2, and Alternative 3, it is estimated that 134 operations would occur between 500 feet AGL and 100 feet AGL in each of the Moody 2 North and the Grand Bay MOAs.

Alternative 3. New Military Operations Areas with a 4,000-Foot AGL Floor, a New Grand Bay Military Operations Area, and a 100-Foot AGL Floor at Moody 2 North Military Operations Area

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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