HCTT Study Area
The HCTT Study Area (see Figure 1) consists primarily of the Hawaii Operating Area (OPAREA) and Temporary OPAREA (see Figure 2), the California OPAREA, and the transit corridor connecting the two. The Study Area includes only the at-sea components of the range complexes, Navy pierside locations and port transit channels, bays, harbors, inshore waterways, and civilian ports where training and testing activities occur, as well as transits between homeports and operating areas. For this EIS/OEIS, “at-sea components” include the marine environment around San Nicolas Island where marine mammals haul out on the shoreline. Missile and target firings from San Nicolas Island that could disturb the marine mammals are included in this analysis. Aside from this one exception, no other terrestrial impacts will be covered in the EIS/OEIS.
The HCTT Study Area (for the “Phase IV” analysis) differs from the 2018 HSTT Study Area (for the “Phase III” analysis) in that it includes (see Figure 3):
- An extended Southern California Range Complex
- Special use airspace corresponding to the new extensions in California (the proposed W-293 and proposed W-294)
- Two existing training and testing at-sea ranges, the PMSR and the Northern California (NOCAL) Range Complex
- Areas along the Southern California coastline from approximately Dana Point to Port Hueneme
- Four amphibious approach lanes providing land access from the NOCAL Range Complex and PMSR