Anyone who has had their solitude blasted by the
sudden scream of low-flying military jets while hiking in the West
will want a copy of the 24-page Citizen’s Guide to Opposing
Military Airspace Expansion. While the military has downsized its
airfleet almost by half since the demise of the Soviet Union, it
continues to seek more airspace for training in Arizona, Colorado,
Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon. The guide explains what
“Military Operation Areas’ and “Military Training Routes’ really
are, the laws affecting military airspace, and how citizens can
effectively oppose airspace proposals. It also lists citizen groups
opposed to airspace expansion. “It’s a great introduction to a
growing issue of the military taking over airspace in the West,”
says Craig Gehrke, The Wilderness Society’s Idaho director, who is
battling the Air Force’s fourth attempt to expand into Idaho’s
Owyhee Canyonlands.
A free copy of the guide can
be obtained from the National Airspace Coalition, 4117 Pebblebrook
Circle, Bloomington, MN 55437 (612/831-3096/0387
fax).
* John
Rosapepe
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Rein in those planes.
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