In the wake of a series of three open houses at the start of the month, and a public comment period that wrapped up May 18, the U.S. Navy is taking the next steps toward the potential implementation of proposed special operations training in Jefferson County.

Sheila Murray, deputy public affairs officer for Navy Region Northwest, reported that the Navy has received approximately 135 emails and letters on this issue, although the majority of correspondence has been via email.

“Some commenters are concerned about our use of Washington state parks and natural resources,” Murray said. “However, one commenter requested the Navy add another park property for consideration, while others have offered their support, including the use of their shoreline property for training.”

Murray identified the Navy’s next steps as reviewing all the submitted comments and using them to focus its environmental analysis.

“The Navy will finalize data collection and analyze the alternatives,” Murray said. “Additional private sites that were offered during the early outreach period are set to be reviewed to see if they would work for proposed training.”

If the sites in question prove suitable, they would be included in the analysis in the draft environmental assessment, which Murray expects to be released to the public later this year.

“The public will have another opportunity to comment,” Murray said. “In addition, there will be three open-house-style meetings offered during the public comment period, in the winter of 2017.”

From there, Murray expects to see the final environmental assessment and decision documents in the summer of 2018.

“If the summer decision next year is to implement the proposed training, property owners would be contacted to enter into real estate agreements with the Navy,” Murray said. “Those agreements would address how and when property owners would be contacted, prior to training blocks.”

Murray promised that public officials and property owners who must be notified would be told in advance of any training.

“There would be no trace of the trainees’ presence, during or after training activity,” Murray said. “Any proposed training will be fully analyzed, coordinated with military and civil authorities, and conducted in compliance with the law. The Navy takes the safety and security of the public, service members and natural resources very seriously during all training evolutions.”