tinkerafb_INRMP.pdf

U. S. AIR FORCE INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES

MANAGEMENT PLAN

Tinker Air Force Base

Plan No. 32-7064

(See INRMP signature pages and Annual INRMP Review and Update Requirements for plan approval date)

INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN

ABOUT THIS PLAN

This installation-specific Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is based on the U.S. Air Force’s (AF) standardized Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) template. This INRMP has been developed in cooperation with applicable stakeholders, which may include Sikes Act cooperating agencies and/or local equivalents, to document how natural resources will be managed. Non-U.S. territories will comply with applicable Final Governing Standards (FGS). Where applicable, external resources, including Air Force Instructions (AFIs); AF Playbooks; federal, state, local, FGS, biological opinion and permit requirements, are referenced.

Certain sections of this INRMP begin with standardized, AF-wide “common text” language that address AF and Department of Defense (DoD) policy and federal requirements. This common text language is restricted from editing to ensure that it remains standard throughout all plans. Immediately following the AF-wide common text sections are installation sections. The installation sections contain installation-specific content to address local and/or installation-specific requirements. Installation sections are unrestricted and are maintained and updated by AF environmental Installation Support Teams (ISTs) and/or installation personnel.

NOTE: The terms ‘Natural Resources Manager’, ‘NRM’ and ‘NRM/POC’ are used throughout this document to refer to the installation person responsible for the natural resources program, regardless of whether this person meets the qualifications within the definition of a natural resources management professional in DODI 4715.03.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DOCUMENT CONTROL

INRMP APPROVAL/SIGNATURE PAGES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 OVERVIEW AND SCOPE

1.1 Purpose and Scope

1.2 Management Philosophy

1.3 Authority

1.4 Integration with Other Plans

2.0 INSTALLATION PROFILE

2.1 Installation Overview

2.1.1 Location and Area

2.1.2 Installation History

2.1.3 Military Missions……………………………………………………………………………...23

2.1.4 Surrounding Communities

2.1.5 Local and Regional Natural Areas

2.2 Physical Environment

2.2.1 Climate

2.2.2 Landforms/Physiography

2.2.3 Geology and Soils

2.2.4 Hydrology

2.3 Ecosystems and the Biotic Environment…………………………………………………………41

2.3.1 Ecosystem Classification

2.3.2 Vegetation

2.3.3 Fish and Wildlife

2.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Species and Species of Concern

2.3.5 Wetlands and Floodplains

2.3.6 Other Natural Resource Information

2.4 Mission Impacts on Natural Resources

2.4.1 Natural Resource Constraints to Mission and Mission Planning

2.4.2 Land Use

2.4.3 Current Major Impacts

2.4.4 Potential Future Impacts……………………………………………………………………..69

2.4.5 Natural Resources Needed to Support the Military Mission

3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Environmental Compliance Assessment and Management Program (ECAMP) Inspection

4.0 GENERAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

5.0 TRAINING

6.0 RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTING

6.1 Recordkeeping

6.2 Reporting

7.0 NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

7.1 Fish and Wildlife Management

7.2 Outdoor Recreation and Public Access to Natural Resources

7.3 Conservation Law Enforcement

7.4 Management of Threatened and Endangered Species, Species of Concern and Habitats

7.5 Water Resource Protection

7.6 Wetland Protection

7.7 Grounds Maintenance

7.8 Forest Management

7.9 Wildland Fire Management

7.10 Agricultural Outleasing

7.11 Integrated Pest Management Program

7.12 Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH)

7.13 Coastal Zone and Marine Resources Management

7.14 Cultural Resources Protection

7.15 Public Outreach

7.16 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

8.0 MANAGEMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

9.0 INRMP IMPLEMENTATION, UPDATE, AND REVISION PROCESS

9.1 Natural Resources Management Staffing and Implementation

9.2 Monitoring INRMP Implementation…………………………………………………………...148

9.3 Annual INRMP Review and Update Requirements…………………………………………...148

10.0 ANNUAL WORK PLANS

11.0 REFERENCES

11.1 Standard References (Applicable to all AF installations)

11.2 Installation References

12.0 ACRONYMS

12.1 Standard Acronyms (Applicable to all AF installations)

12.2 Installation Acronyms

13.0 DEFINITIONS

13.1 Standard Definitions (Applicable to all AF installations)

13.2 Installation Definitions

14.0 APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………..171

Appendix A: Annotated Summary of Key Legislation Related to Design/Implementation of the

INRMP

Appendix B: Natural Resources Annual Report Appendix C: Flora List Appendix D: Fauna List Appendix E: Native Landscaping Plant Material List Appendix F: Mitigation Action Tracker

Appendix G: Urban Forestry Management Procedures…………………………………………..171 Appendix H: Natural Resources Cooperative Agreements/Memorandums Appendix I: Species at Risk

Appendix J: Natural Resources Equipment and Supply Inventory

15.0 ASSOCIATED PLANS (Tabs 1, 2, and 3 are attached as separate documents. Refer to OPRs for other plans)

Tab 1 – Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan Tab 2 – Golf Course Environmental Management (GEM) Plan Tab 3 – Wildland Fire Management Plan (WFMP) Tab 4 – Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Plan Tab 5 – Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP) Tab 6 – Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan (ICRMP) Tab 7 – Storm Water Management Plan

Tab 8 – Climate Change Supporting Information…………………………………………………172

DOCUMENT CONTROL

Record of Review – The INRMP is updated not less than annually, or as changes to natural resource management and conservation practices occur, including those driven by changes in applicable regulations.

In accordance with (IAW) the Sikes Act and AFI 32-7064, Natural Resources Management, the INRMP is required to be reviewed for operation and effect not less than every five years. Annual reviews and updates are accomplished by the base Natural Resources Manager (NRM), and/or an Installation Support Team Natural Resources Media Manager. The installation shall establish and maintain regular communications with the appropriate federal and state agencies. At a minimum, the installation NRM (with assistance as appropriate from the NR Media Manager) conducts an annual review of the INRMP in coordination with internal stakeholders and local representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), state fish and wildlife agency, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, where applicable, and accomplishes pertinent updates. Installations will document the findings of the annual review in an Annual INRMP Review Summary. By signing the Annual INRMP Review Summary, the collaborating agency representative asserts concurrence with the findings. Any agreed updates are then made to the document, at a minimum updating the work plans.

INRMP APPROVAL/SIGNATURE PAGES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), home of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC), is located in central Oklahoma five miles southeast of downtown Oklahoma City in the heart of the Sooner State, and is one of the largest and most important military installations in the United States. The largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma, Tinker AFB has an approximate workforce of 26,296 (16,307 civilian workers, 7,595 military personnel, and 2,394 contractor employees).

Tinker AFB is also home of the 552nd Air Control Wing, 507th Air Refueling Wing, 513th Air Control Group, the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing One, the Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Distribution Depot Oklahoma City, 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, and Defense Mega-center Oklahoma City.

Tinker AFB covers approximately 5,580 acres of land. Structures include a 10,000-foot runway, 11,200-foot runway, almost 700 family housing units, 48 miles of road, 717 buildings, and 57 aircraft assigned to associate units. The annual air traffic control traffic count (arrivals, departures, and practice approaches) is 34,000 to 36,000 and the annual ground traffic (aircraft and vehicle operations) is approximately 20,000.

The Tinker AFB Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) implements requirements of the Sikes Act; Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 4715.03, Natural Resources Conservation Program; Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 32-70, Environmental Quality; and Air Force Instruction (AFI) 32-7064, Integrated Natural Resources Management in concert with the Tinker AFB Installation Development Plan (IDP).

The plan discusses the mission, vision, goals, and objectives for managing natural resources [i.e., flora (plants), fauna (fish/wildlife), soil, and water] in Tinker’s urban ecosystem for the betterment of the warfighter, surrounding community, and environment. Included are discussions of the history, current condition, trend, and use of these resources and a detailed conservation strategy.

The plan strives to safely integrate all aspects of natural resources management with Tinker’s flying mission. This is accomplished using an ecosystem management approach (i.e., integration of ecological, socio-economic, and institutional perspectives toward responsible and sustainable use of natural resources, Leslie et al., 1996) (see figure, “Ecosystem Management Approach”).

Ecosystem Management Approach: Effective ecosystem management lies at the intersection of all three circles, taking into account ecological, socio-economic, and institutional (i.e., military mission) considerations.

This INRMP is intended to transform Tinker’s natural environment to strengthen the military, their families, and the local community. It strives for positive change, using scientific fact to challenge old ways of doing environmental business. Many new policies have been established herein to facilitate and ensure going to the next level. The Plan is aimed at instilling pride and ownership in the surrounding natural environment by encouraging on- and off-base community involvement in the program. It promotes a balance between the needed facilities, roads, and runways and the natural environment. It brings competing interests together into a sensible approach to managing the heavily industrialized environment, leading to a greener, more vibrant, more livable community. This Plan aims to greatly improve Tinker’s image and significantly contribute to the health, wellness, and quality of life of the workforce. It will move the health of installation’s natural environment forward to better support and sustain military operational needs and expeditionary combat capability.

1.0 OVERVIEW AND SCOPE

This INRMP was developed to provide for effective management and protection of natural resources. It summarizes the natural resources present on the installation and outlines strategies to adequately manage those resources. Natural resources are valuable assets of the United States Air Force. They provide the natural infrastructure needed for testing weapons and technology, as well as for training military personnel for deployment. Sound management of natural resources increases the effectiveness of Air Force adaptability in all environments. The Air Force has stewardship responsibility over the physical lands on which installations are located to ensure all natural resources are properly conserved, protected, and used in sustainable ways. The primary objective of the Air Force natural resources program is to sustain, restore and modernize natural infrastructure to ensure operational capability and no net loss in the capability of AF lands to support the military mission of the installation. The plan outlines and assigns responsibilities for the management of natural resources, discusses related concerns, and provides program management elements that will help to maintain or improve the natural resources within the context of the installation’s mission. The INRMP is intended for use by all installation personnel. The Sikes Act is the legal driver for the INRMP.

1.1 Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this plan is to establish an organized and systematic approach to improve the overall health of Tinker’s urban ecosystem within the context of the military mission. The plan includes a prioritized and measurable strategy that will guide natural resources conservation and military activities to ensure integration and consistency with federal mandates for ecosystem stewardship. Monitoring and adaptive management will be employed to ensure positive progress toward program goals and objectives. This will ultimately provide optimal military operational sustainability while promoting societal, economical, and ecological benefits for Tinker AFB and its neighboring communities in concert with the desired development pattern of the Tinker AFB Installation Development Plan.

In 2003, natural resources program staff held a series of stakeholder meetings involving key personnel from Tinker AFB tenant organizations, local communities, private companies, and county, state, and federal governments. During the course of these meetings, two program deficiencies became evident: 1) inadequate planning in several resource areas, and 2) the natural resources program was moving forward without a clear understanding of its customers’ needs and desires. Planning deficiencies included such things as the lack of environmental area master plans (such as urban greenways); area management plans (e.g., tree farm and urban forest); identification of targets or standards (e.g., pond water quality); inadequate overall reporting, tracking, and monitoring systems; and the need to ensure the INRMP is tied to plans of communities adjacent to Tinker AFB.

This plan is intended to correct these deficiencies through a more aggressive, proactive, holistic, and customer-focused conservation strategy. The planning aspects of the INRMP are more organized and detailed and include many new policy statements essential to sustainable natural resources improvements.

The science-based strategy aims to ensure management actions are based in fact and not supposition.

Furthermore, it aims to better measure actual progress and success in achieving natural resources goals, priorities, and mandates; stronger performance measures (metrics) have been integrated to evaluate program activities.

The INRMP applies to all lands managed by Tinker AFB including all leased areas (Glenwood, Landfill 6 Area, Military Family Housing) and other satellite areas to include, but not limited to, the Cyber Engineering Installation Group, Gator Site, and Fuel Control Facility. Efforts are underway, as applicable and practicable, to work cooperatively with adjacent landowners to apply the INRMP scope beyond Tinker AFB boundaries.

Natural resources found within Tinker’s urban ecosystem and addressed in this plan include flora (plants), fauna (fish and wildlife), soil, and water, and include a discussion of the vital connection between people and Tinker’s natural resources, and lastly a brief discussion of important aspects of program management.

Natural resources are described in their historical context, their present status (i.e., rated as POOR, FAIR, or GOOD), and trend (i.e., rated as DOWNWARD, STABLE, or UPWARD).

Status Trend

GOOD DOWNWARD

FAIR STABLE

POOR UPWARD

Natural Resources Current Status and Trend

1.2 Management Philosophy

For their roles and sacrifices in defending our nation, every airman and his or her family deserve the best standard of living—world-class facilities in a world-class environment. Moreover, as a federal agency, Tinker AFB should set the standard for managing land and associated natural resources within existing industrialized and urbanized landscapes. Therefore, it is our aim to be the model of a productive built environment. This is not possible without a balanced approach to military build-out and natural resources stewardship.

The INRMP establishes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary vision to achieve this balance and reach this standard. It sets forth goals and objectives framed by natural resources inventories, user surveys, science-based ecosystem management principles, and sustainability guidelines intertwined with our national defense needs to attain a healthy natural infrastructure that supports military mission goals.

1.3 Authority

The Sikes Act, 16 USC 670a, requires an INRMP be written and implemented for all DoD installations having significant natural resources. This plan has been developed cooperatively between the installation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). The Air Force natural resources program ensures continued access to land, air, and water resources to conduct realistic military training and testing, as well as to sustain the long-term ecological integrity of the resource base.

This INRMP is developed under, and proposes actions in accordance with, applicable DoD and United States Air Force (USAF) policies, directives, and instructions including DoD Instruction 4715.03, Natural

Resources Conservation Program; AFPD 32-70, Environmental Quality; AFI 32-7064, Integrated Natural Resources Management; AFI 32-7065, Cultural Resources Management; legislation, executive orders (EO), and presidential memorandums. DoD Instruction 4715.03 provides direction for DoD installations to establish procedures for an integrated program for multiple-use management of natural resources. AFPD 32-70 discusses general environmental quality issues, including proper cleanup of polluted sites, compliance with applicable regulations, conservation of natural resources, and pollution prevention. AFIs 32-7064 and 32-7065 provide guidance on the preservation of natural and cultural resources, respectively, at USAF installations. The ‘Annotated Summary of Key Legislation Related to Design and Implementation of the INRMP’ table, included as an appendix to this plan, summarizes key legislation and guidance used to create and implement this INRMP. Refer to the complete listing of AFIs, the Federal Registry and the US Code to ensure that all applicable guidance documents, laws and regulations are reviewed. Installation-specific policies, including state and local laws and regulations are summarized in the table below.

Installation-Specific Policies (including State and/or Local Laws and Regulations)

Green Infrastructure

Policy 1: Encourage sustainable development and military operational support by balancing gray infrastructure development with green infrastructure enhancement, restoration, and preservation.

[Note: Designers of facilities in evaluation areas or near regulated areas shall consult Tinker natural resources staff early in the design process to evaluate and determine how the project may be designed consistent with principles outlined in this Plan. Within these evaluation areas, if impacts to green infrastructure cannot be avoided, they should be minimized. If minimization is not possible, the designer shall provide mitigation alternatives for consideration].

Policy 2: Tinker AFB shall observe a “no net loss of floodplain capacity” policy. Tinker will ensure no increase in the 500-year floodplain boundaries using the 2002 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tinker AFB Floodplain Study as the baseline.

Policy 3: In developing future facility plans and as opportunities arise, all facilities located within the 500-year floodplain should be relocated to areas outside the 500-year floodplain.

Policy 4: Employ conservation management principles when developing areas:

• Practice compact development to the maximum extent practicable.

• Focus on designing projects to “fit” the existing landscape or natural community as opposed to designing projects which require clearing and leveling the entire site and subsequently attempting to rebuild the landscape.

Policy 5: Excluding the airfield, restore and maintain network gaps to create natural corridor connectivity wherever possible throughout the GI network. It is desired that these gaps be converted to native grasslands/woodlands a minimum of 300 feet wide (e.g., 150 feet on each side of a creek/trail) where practicable. In developed areas, any width of natural connectivity is encouraged. Where contiguous connectivity is not possible, the following guidelines shall apply:

• Develop smaller natural areas (i.e., patches) which serve as stepping stones for wildlife movement.

• Decrease distance between stepping stones wherever possible.

• Emphasize larger patches over smaller ones.

• Prioritize restoration by focusing first on higher order.

Urban Forestry

Fish and Wildlife streams versus lower order streams and gaps away from roads as opposed to close to roads.

Tree Selection

Policy 1: In accordance with Presidential Memorandum, Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Practices on Federal Landscaped Grounds,” April 26, 1994, all trees planted on Tinker shall be native and in accordance with the Tinker AFB Native Tree List. Variances may be granted by the natural resources office under certain circumstances.

Tree Planting/Removal

Policy 1: A tree planting/removal permit must be obtained from 72 ABW/CEIEC prior to the planting or removing of any tree on Tinker AFB.

Policy 2: A digging permit must be obtained from Civil Engineering prior to planting any tree on Tinker AFB.

Policy 3: For every live urban tree removed on base, two trees (each of which will grow to at least the mature size of the removed tree) shall be planted within the urban forest management unit of the removed tree to offset the loss. Trees may be planted in other management units as determined by the base urban forester. Replacement trees shall not exceed a 1.5 inch trunk caliper. Seedlings of an equivalent value may be substituted at the government’s discretion.

Tree Maintenance

Policy 1: Trees on Tinker AFB shall not be pruned by any government or contractor personnel except those who have received annual training through the base natural resources office or other tree care training approved by 72 ABW/CEIEC.

Tree (General)

Policy 1: All trees planted on Tinker AFB shall be planted and maintained in accordance with Tinker’s Urban Forestry Management Procedures.

Policy 2: Notably significant trees (e.g., 100-year-old oaks) shall be protected to the maximum extent practicable.

Oklahoma Administrative Code 800:25-7-8: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation regulations make it unlawful to kill, capture, keep as pets, or sell Texas horned lizards (THL).

Oklahoma Administrative Code 800:20-1-2: Aquatic nuisance species on Tinker AFB are governed by state regulations.

Oklahoma Administrative Codes 29 and 800: Tinker hunting and fishing are governed by state regulations established by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Fish and Wildlife (continued)

1.4 Integration with Other Plans

INRMP revisions and concurrence with the final plan is coordinated through the installation chain of command and internal stakeholders to include, but not limited to:

• AFSC/LG

• OC-ALC

• 552 AWACS

• Navy

• 507th/513th

• 38 CEIG

• 72 ABW/JA

• 72 ABW/PA

• 72 ABW/SE

• 72 MSG

• 72 FSS

• 72 OSS

• 72 SFS

• 72 ABW/CE

• AFCEC/CZO

The NRM ensures that the INRMP and the following base plans/documents are mutually supportive and do not conflict:

• Installation Development Plan (IDP)

• Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan (ICRMP)

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) cleanup plans

• Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Plan

• Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP)

• Green Infrastructure Plan (GI)

• Golf Course Environmental Management (GEM)

• Wildland Fire Management Plan (WFMP)

• Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) study

• Joint Land Use Study (JLUS)

• Grounds maintenance contract

2.0 INSTALLATION PROFILE

Office of Primary Responsibility 72 ABW/CEIEC has overall responsibility for implementing the Natural Resources Management program and is the lead organization for monitoring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

Natural Resources Manager/POC John Krupovage

(405) 739-7074

State and/or local regulatory POCs Sikes Act-cooperating agencies for Tinker AFB are:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Amy Lueders, Director US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2 Albuquerque, NM

Larry Levesque Oklahoma Ecological Field Services Office US Fish and Wildlife Service Tulsa, OK

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation JD Strong, Director Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Oklahoma City, OK

Mark Howery, Biologist Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Oklahoma City, OK

Total acreage managed by installation

5,580 acres

Total acreage of wetlands 56.2 acres Total acreage of forested land 234 acres Does installation have any Biological Opinions? (If yes, list title and date, and identify where they are maintained)

No

NR Program Applicability (Place a checkmark next to each program that must be implemented at the installation. Document applicability and current management practices in Section 7.0)

Invasive species Wetlands Protection Program Grounds Maintenance Contract/SOW ☐ Forest Management Program Urban Forestry Management Program Grassland/Woodland Management Program Wildland Fire Management Program Agricultural Outleasing Program Integrated Pest Management Program Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Program ☐ Coastal Zones/Marine Resources Management Program Cultural Resources Management Program

2.1 Installation Overview

2.1.1 Location and Area

Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), home of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC), is located in central Oklahoma five miles southeast of downtown Oklahoma City in the heart of the Sooner State. (See Figure “Tinker AFB Location [State]”). The largest single-site employer in the state of Oklahoma, Tinker AFB has an approximate workforce of 26,296 (16,307 civilian workers, 7,595 military personnel, and 2,394 contractor employees).

Tinker AFB is also home of the 552nd Air Control Wing, 507th Air Refueling Wing, 513th Air Control Group, the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing One, the Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Distribution Depot Oklahoma City, 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, and Defense Mega-center Oklahoma City.

Tinker AFB covers approximately 5,580 acres of land. Structures include a 10,000-foot runway, 11,200-foot runway, almost 700 family housing units, 48 miles of road, 717 buildings, and 57 aircraft assigned to associate units. The annual air traffic control traffic count (arrivals, departures, and practice approaches) is 34,000 to 36,000 and the annual ground traffic (aircraft and vehicle operations) is approximately 20,000.

Tinker AFB Location (State)

Installation/Geographically Separated Units (GSU) Location and Area Descriptions Base/GSU

Name Main Use/Mission Acreage Addressed in INRMP? Describe NR Implications

Tinker AFB (main body of installation)

Providing worldwide technical logistics support to Air Force aerospace weapon systems, equipment, and commodity items.

5,580 All Tinker AFB land areas (i.e., main body and GSUs) are classified as Category II and are managed under the INRMP. In the INRMP, management of natural resources on GSUs is not addressed separately from the main body of the base.

Most management of fish and wildlife, agricultural land, urban forest, wetlands, floodplains, invasive species, etc., is focused on this portion of the base.

Cyber

Engineering Installation

Group

Strategic planning, operational engineering, and implementation of cyber infrastructure.

130 Some small-scale management of wildlife, agricultural land, urban forest, invasive species, etc., is done on this land area. Western side of site is Landfill 6.

Gator Site Miscellaneous military exercises

16 No significant natural resources on site

Consolidated Fuels Facility

Supports the test and calibration of fuel system components for aircraft airframes and engines

13 Some urban forestry management on this site, otherwise, no significant natural resources on site.

Glenwood Training Annex

Airfield Clear Zone (CZ), Accident Potential Zone

(APZ),

miscellaneous military exercises

280 Site is located off end of runway and therefore is managed to reduce BASH.

Wetlands have been removed from the site in support of BASH program. This site is home to the base’s largest deer population.

Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul

Technology Center

(MROTC)

Aircraft modification

37 A portion of the site is in the 100-year floodplain, otherwise no significant natural resources on site.

Twaddle Reserve Center

Air Force, Marine, and Navy administrative space

25 No significant natural resources on site

2.1.2 Installation History

In October 1940, as German troops invaded Europe and Japan expanded its empire, a dozen Oklahoma City businessmen formed the Industries Foundation to attract a bomber base, an aircraft plant, or an air repair depot to the area. Their efforts proved successful when the War Department announced, on April 8, 1941, Oklahoma City as the site of a new air materiel depot that would cover more than 1,500 acres and employ 3,500 people. Construction on the new Midwest Air Depot began on July 18, 1941. Since the airfield was not ready for occupancy until March 1, 1942, official depot operations began in a downtown office building on January 15, 1942. Just eight days later, Oklahoma citizens learned that the Army Air Forces had decided to build a huge Douglas Aircraft Assembly Plant next to the depot.

Maj. Gen. Clarence L. Tinker, an Oklahoma native and part Osage Indian, lost his life while leading a group of LB-30 bombers on a mission against the Japanese in the region of Wake Island on June 7, 1942.

Accordingly, Gen. H.H. "Hap" Arnold ordered the installation named Tinker Field on Oct. 14, 1942. During World War II, more than 18,000 military and civilian employees repaired and modified B-17, B-24 and B- 29 bombers as well as C-47 and C-54 cargo planes. They also overhauled thousands of aircraft engines and shipped supplies around the world. Meanwhile, the Douglas Plant, employing close to 24,000 people, produced more than 5,300 C-47 Skytrain aircraft and parts to build 400 C-54 Skymaster cargo planes and 900 A-26 Invader attack bombers.

At the end of the war, the Oklahoma City Air Depot acquired the adjacent Douglas Plant complex and moved new workloads into the facilities after the War Department declared Tinker Field a permanent air base. Renamed the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area (OCAMA) on July 2, 1946, the depot continued work on bombers, engines and aircraft parts and played an important role in supporting the Berlin Airlift.

Following the creation of the Department of the Air Force in 1947, the installation officially became Tinker Air Force Base on January 13, 1948.

In the 1950s, Tinker AFB modified and repaired the B-29 Superfortress, the B-47 Stratojet, and the C-97 Stratofreighter. In 1953, OCAMA’s engine line became 100-percent jet propulsion. Throughout the decade, the depot performed maintenance on such power plants as the J47, J57, and J75. In the mid-1950s, Tinker AFB assumed management responsibility for the KC-135 Stratotanker and the B-52 Stratofortress, and in 1959, completed maintenance of its first B-52 and KC-135 aircraft. With the increased importance of OCAMA in the national defense network, it soon grew and expanded its western boundary from Air Depot Boulevard to Sooner Road. The area later housed a new chapel, hospital, dormitories, enlisted and officer clubs, and modern military family housing.

In the 1960s, Tinker AFB accelerated production due to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the continued Cold War. Soon, OCAMA shifted its focus to support the Vietnam War, and Tinker AFB became an inland aerial port for Southeast Asia activities. In January 1968, Tinker AFB employment reached an all-time high of 24,778 civilians and 4,404 military members assigned to OCAMA and its associate organizations.

Tinker AFB gained new work in the 1970s as skilled employees repaired F-4 and F-105 fighter jets as well as the A-7 attack aircraft and the new TF41 engine. OCAMA became the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center on April 1, 1974. The next year, the OC-ALC assumed management responsibility for the E-3 Sentry aircraft, and the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing activated its units at Tinker AFB on July 1, 1976.

In the 1980s, the OC-ALC added management responsibilities for the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers and completed maintenance work on its first B-1 in 1988. More depot work on the F101, F107, F108, and F110 engines started in the mid-1980s along with management responsibilities for a host of engines. Despite a near disastrous fire in Building 3001 in November 1984, ALC workers continued their support of warfighters throughout the world.

In 1991, Tinker AFB supported the war efforts of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. A year later, the Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing ONE completed its move to Tinker AFB, the first time a Navy wing had relocated to an Air Force base. The decade ended with the 1999 announcement that Tinker AFB and the OC-ALC had won the largest-ever public-private competition for an engine workload. It would be transferred from the closing ALC at Kelly AFB, Texas.

On Sept. 11, 2001, after foreign terrorists hijacked civilian airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and a field in Pennsylvania, Tinker workers responded by providing support to U.S. troops at home and abroad in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM (starting in 2001) and IRAQI FREEDOM (starting in 2003). As in all previous wars and conflicts, the spirit of Oklahoma and America's military resolve could be vividly seen at Tinker AFB.

After the events of Sept 11th, 2001, Tinker AFB had many responsibilities and played many roles in the Global War on Terror. On 9 October 2001, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) made history when it deployed five Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to the United States. The aircraft, crews, and support personnel came from Geilenkirchen, Germany to assist the 552nd Air Control Wing (ACW) at Tinker AFB in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, a homeland defense operation, which continued until May of 2002.

While the 552 ACW and its NATO counter parts watched the skies, the men and women of the OC- ALC provided the aircraft, weapons, and other materiel critical to the wartime operations during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. In the years since Sept 11, many military members from the active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard departed from Tinker AFB to the theaters in Afghanistan and Iraq to combat our foes.

To meet the demands of the growing war effort, the Air Force authorized the activation of three new wings under the OC-ALC—the 76th Maintenance Wing, the 327th Aircraft Sustainment Wing (later inactivated June 2010), and the 448th Combat Sustainment Wing (later redesignated the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing [448 SCMW] Apr 2008)—in February 2005.

In January 2007, the OC-ALC received a mission assignment gaining new depot management responsibility for the C-32, C-37, and C-40 aircraft and the CF6-80C2-L1F engine. To more efficiently execute operations, the base capitalized on vacant close-to-base industrial space to meet mission requirements. Through a bond issue by the voters of Oklahoma County and $10M contribution by the state, the county purchased the 398-acre property and shuttered automobile assembly plant from General Motors for $54M. Through a lease agreement, Tinker used the campus moving aerospace programed depot maintenance operations into a facility with nearly 4-million square-feet of prime heavy industrial space. The Oklahoma community handed the Air Force the keys to Tinker Aerospace Complex (TAC) 9001 in October 2008. Later lauded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the nation’s top environmental redevelopment projects, a June 6, 2012 Brownsfield ceremony recognized the collaborative transformation of the former automobile plant to an aerospace complex with the Phoenix Award, one of the more distinguished environmental redevelopment awards in the country.

In November 2011, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command (HQ AFMC) announced a major restructuring effort that would reduce overhead by cutting the number of centers from t w e l v e to five. For Tinker AFB, the five center construct meant the establishment of a new organization on base, the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC). On July 10, 2012, the AFSC was activated at Tinker

AFB as the center in charge of the three air logistic complexes and three airbases (Hill AFB, Robins AFB and Tinker AFB) and the two supply chain wings (448 Supply Chain Management Wing at Tinker AFB (TAFB) and 635th Supply Chain Operations Wings at Scott AFB, Illinois). With the establishment of AFSC came new management responsibilities and tools to effectively and efficiently command the large organization.

In 2015, Tinker Air Force Base officials announced the acquisition of 156 acres of land on the southwest side of the base to stand up a depot maintenance facility for the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling aircraft, the KC-46A Pegasus. The land purchase was made possible through a joint effort of the U.S. Air Force ($8 million), the City of Oklahoma City ($23.5 million) and Oklahoma County ($12.5 million). The land was formerly owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co., where it operated a rail yard that primarily served the former General Motors manufacturing facility. Current facility requirements for the KC-46A depot maintenance operations include approximately 840,000 square feet of facilities to include 14 aircraft bays, a 10-meter engine test cell (to be located on the TAC 9001 facility), a kitting facility, a software integration lab, warehouse space, support facilities such as central chiller plant and fire pump house, taxiways, aircraft parking positions, an engine run up ramp (to be located on the TAC grounds), and approximately 1,250 personal vehicle parking spots.

2.1.3 Military Missions

Today, Tinker’s vital Air Force mission continues to be dedicated to providing worldwide technical logistics support to Air Force aerospace weapon systems, equipment, and commodity items, and encompasses a myriad of responsibilities. OC-ALC has the unique mission of managing and repairing the engines that power cruise missiles and a variety of Air Force and Navy aircraft. The center also accomplishes aircraft modifications and repairs, maintains, and overhauls bombers, refuelers, and reconnaissance aircraft including the B-1B, B-2, B-52, E-3, and the C/KC-135 series aircraft. It performs depot level maintenance (i.e., high level overhaul maintenance such as engine removal and rebuild, painting, etc. as opposed to routine maintenance) on more than 120 aircraft annually. It also organizes, directs, and controls total life-cycle management of over 1100 aircraft. The center also manages the SRAM, SRAM II, ACLM, and GLCM missile systems, as well as the Air Force’s Harpoon missile. The ALC annually overhauls and maintains more than 3,000 major jet engine modules from 11 major commands as well as the Army, Navy, and numerous foreign countries. In addition to aircraft/missile maintenance, overhaul, and repair, Tinker AFB provides deployable communications, computer systems, navigational aids, and air traffic control services worldwide for Air Force, Department of Defense, and other U.S.

commitments.

Listing of Tenants and NR Responsibility Tenant Organization NR Responsibility

List tenant organizations Identify which host/tenant organization is responsible for managing tenant’s impact to/by natural resources (i.e., Unit Environmental Coordinators, UECs)

552nd Air Control Wing Shannon Reimers-Wavada 507th Air Refueling Wing Kayla Cuffie 513th Air Control Group Lt Col Brian Hard U.S. Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing One Curtis Murtchinson 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group Thanh Alcorn Defense Megacenter Oklahoma City (DLA) Ryan Henry

Grounds Maintenance Contractor (Trace) Patricia Troxell Force Support Squadron Dale Rogers/Marvin Broughton CE Operations (Alutiiq) Noland Voss/Michael Heustis AAFES Raymond Becker 72 LRS Joshua Morris/Guy Wilson/Ralph Farley Motorpool Randall Hixson 76 AMXG Chris Ray/Marty Allen 76 PMXG Michael McGill/Rachel McArthur 76 CMXG Brandi Dittrich/Tommy Fagan 76 SWEG Torrie Wale/Michael Kessler 76 MXSG Torrie Wale/Michael Kessler 76 MXSG/MXDEU Christopher Ray 72 MDSS Kelly Guest 72 SFS Travis Morris/Shawn McClelland 72 ABW/SC Jake Langham/Mark Holder 72 ABW/CEF Robin Lewallen/Nathan Schooling 72 ABW/CEIEC Kyle Barton/Mary Downs

2.1.4 Surrounding Communities

Midwest City: Starting in 1941, Midwest City was developed simultaneously with the rise of Tinker AFB.

According to the 2010 US Census, the current population is 54,371, with little growth in the last ten years.

It is the eighth largest city in the state and is a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The community covers about 25 square miles on the north side of Tinker AFB. The racial makeup of the city is 64.6% white, 21.9% African American, 5.6% Hispanic/Latino, 3.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 6.5% from mixed races. The medium income for a household in the city was $42,117. Most of Midwest City is suburban, being slightly more rural in the eastern half of the city.

Del City: Bordering most of Tinker AFB’s western boundary is Del City which covers 7.5 square miles. It is a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The current population is about 21,000, which is down by 3.6% since 2000 and down by 25.2% from its peak population of 28,523 in 1980. The racial composition is 66.4% white, 17.7% African American, 7.2% Hispanic/Latino, 4.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 7.6% of mixed race. The medium household income was $40,240. Del City is a mostly suburban community.

Oklahoma City: Tinker AFB is bordered on the southwest, south and east sides by portions of Oklahoma City, the largest city in the state with a population of 579,999. It is the 31st largest city in the United States and is the 8th largest city in the nation by land area at 606 square miles. From 2000 to 2010, the population increased by 14.6%. The racial composition is 62.7% white, 15.1% African American, 17.2% Hispanic/Latino, 3.5% Native American, 4.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 7.2% of mixed race. The median household income is $43,798. Agriculture, oil, natural gas, petroleum products, and related industries are the largest sector of the regional economy.

Due to its relatively undeveloped state, the adjacent Oklahoma City land area has the greatest potential to positively or negatively impact Tinker AFB. For planning purposes, the Oklahoma City Planning Department has divided the city into six sectors. The portion of Oklahoma City that adjoins Tinker AFB is the Southeast Sector. It is considered one of the city’s areas of highest suburban growth and acreage development. Although Oklahoma City as a whole is comprised of urban, suburban, and rural community areas, the Southeast Sector is predominantly suburban and rural. The western one-third of the sector is suburban and the eastern two-thirds is mostly rural, including fairly large areas of undeveloped land.

Within the Southeast Sector Plan, land immediately east of Tinker has been designated as industrial for future Tinker AFB expansion. There are limited areas within the Southeast Sector near Tinker that could support new commercial, industrial, and higher density residential development. Land south of Tinker is being managed as a drinking water supply watershed and reservoir.

Tinker AFB Location (Surrounding Communities)

2.1.5 Local and Regional Natural Areas

Land south of Tinker—Lake Stanley Draper and adjoining West Elm Creek Reservoir preserve—has been designated as an Environmental Conservation Area. It is located about one mile from Tinker AFB and totals over 10,000 acres.

Lake Stanley Draper is 2,900 acres with a 34 mile shoreline and is located one mile south of the installation’s primary runway. It serves as a water supply and recreation reservoir. Recreational activities include angling, camping, picnicking, jet-skiing, sailing, and boating. A multiuse recreational trail— Tinker-Draper Trail—loops around the lake and connects to Tinker’s perimeter. Preliminary plans call for the Tinker-Draper Trail to extend from the North Canadian River at the Interstate 40/Interstate 35 junction and extend to the southeast through Del City to the north side of Lake Stanley Draper.

The West Elm Creek Reservoir preserve is comprised of land on the west side of Lake Stanley Draper and is set aside for potential use as a water supply reservoir in the future. If West Elm Creek Reservoir were built, it would be an encroachment issue for the base flying mission since the reservoir would be one mile south-southeast of the end of the base’s main runway and would be certain to increase large resident and migratory water bird activity.

Approximately one-half of the Environmental Conservation Area falls within the Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains ecoregion (upland and bottomland forest with scattered prairies), and the other half in the Central Great Plains ecoregion (prairie uplands with woodlands along streams). Most of Tinker AFB is in the latter ecoregion with some fringe areas in the former. In recent years, one endangered species has been identified near Lake Stanley Draper in the Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains ecoregion habitat type. This species has not been identified during surveys on Tinker AFB.

There are no federal wildlife refuges, state wildlife management areas, or other nature parks/greenways within five miles of Tinker AFB.

2.2 Physical Environment

2.2.1 Climate

TAFB’s climate is officially classified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as warm subhumid with pronounced day-to-day changes and gradual seasonal changes, although the changes of seasonal weather conditions are very dramatic. Summer temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (F) are not uncommon, occurring on the average 71 days during the year. The maximum-recorded temperature is 109 degrees (F). Temperatures in the winter on the average are not frigid, but when combined with gusty winds can yield wind-chill temperatures in the below 0 degrees (F) range. The lowest recorded temperature at Tinker is –7 degrees (F). Temperatures below 30 degrees (F) occur on the average 86 days of each year. Temperatures in the spring and fall are generally mild with warm days and cool nights. The average amount of measurable precipitation per year is 33.3 inches which is almost entirely offset by evapotranspiration (see Tab 8). The average number of days per year with measurable precipitation is 75. Of the 75, an average of 47 are thunderstorms and 6 are snowfall. Winds on the average are from 12-14 mph (highest recorded – 87 mph) and predominant direction is from the south-southeast.

The following statistical summary has been compiled from weather observations taken at TAFB from January of 1943 through March of 1984 for averages, and January 1943 through June of 1990 for extremes (Source: Detachment 1, 17th Weather Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma).

General descriptions of seasonal weather conditions are:

Spring (March-April-May-June): Spring yields the type of weather that Oklahoma is perhaps best known for; thunderstorms, sometimes severe, with locally heavy rainfall, gusty winds, hail, frequent lightning, and possibly tornadoes. Though severe thunderstorms can and have occurred during every month of the year, they are most frequent during the spring. Consequently, spring is the wettest season in Oklahoma receiving about 36% of the average annual precipitation.

Summer (June-July-August-September): Summer is best characterized as hot and humid. Temperatures above 100 degrees (F) in July and August are not uncommon. About 29% of the average annual precipitation occurs during the summer.

Fall (September-October-November-December): Fall is commonly known for warm days and cool nights.

The average first frost at TAFB occurs in early November around the 7th. On the average, about 21% of Oklahoma’s annual precipitation occurs in the fall. The spring, summer, and fall collectively constitute an average growing season of approximately 224 days.

Winter (December-January-February-March): The winter season is not only Oklahoma’s coldest season but is also the driest. Roughly 14% of Oklahoma’s average annual precipitation occurs during the winter.

The average annual latest frost in Oklahoma occurs on about the 28th of March.

Climate projections for Tinker Air Force Base (See table, “Summary Climate Data”) suggest minimum and maximum temperatures will increase over time under two emission scenarios – a moderate carbon emission scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP] 4.5) and a high emission scenario (RCP 8.5). The potential impact of these two climate change scenarios on the site’s natural resources was analyzed using extracted climate data from 2026 to 2035 to represent the decadal average for 2030, and extracted data from 2046 to 2055 for the decadal average for 2050.

For the decade centered around 2030, both of the scenarios project a similar degree of increase in average annual temperature (TAVE) of between 2.6 °F (1.4 °C) and 3.9 °F (2.2° C) over historic average. The two emission scenario projections show higher warming by 2050, with RCP 4.5 expressing a warming of 3.6 °F (2.0 °C). RCP 8.5 expresses a slightly greater warming of 5.1°F (2.8 °C) for this period.

MONTH

MAX.

TEMP.

(F)

AVERAGE

HIGH

TEMP.

(F)

AVERAGE

LOW

(F)

MIN.

(F)

AVERAGE

PRECIPIT-

ATION

(INCHES)

AVERAGE

HUMIDITY

(PRESENT)

JANUARY 80 46 27 -7 1.3 60

FEBRUARY 85 52 32 -1 1.3 62

MARCH 91 60 39 -1 2.3 59

APRIL 98 71 51 25 3.1 61

MAY 104 78 59 35 6.1 68

JUNE 106 87 68 51 4.1…