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County hears Department of Defense briefing on Kingsley Field operations, proposes military airspace overlay to require early notification
Summary
Department of Defense and Oregon National Guard officials briefed commissioners on fighter training at Kingsley Field, the value of uncongested airspace and a proposed "military training route overlay zone" that would require pre-application notification for potentially encroaching projects such as wind or transmission lines.
Officials from the Department of Defense, the Oregon Air National Guard and the DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation described Kingsley Field operations and urged early coordination on land-use that could affect military training routes in eastern Crook County.
Lieutenant Colonel Baker, an F-15 instructor pilot and deputy operations group commander at Kingsley Field, said the base trains fighter pilots and that the surrounding airspace is a critical national asset. "Our airspace is the most uncongested airspace in the entire United States," Baker said, and he described the large connected overland and overwater military operating areas used by Kingsley and other units for low-level training.
Kim Preacher, the Northwest Training Range Complex community planning and liaison officer, said her job is to "facilitate land, air, and sea compatibility" and to help counties and developers avoid surprises that could create safety or mission conflicts. Ernie Echaveste of the Department of Defense's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation explained the agency’s role as a federal funding and planning partner to help communities plan compatibly with military operations.
County staff and DOD-funded consultants described a two-part land-use approach the county is advancing: an overlay zoning map and code language called the "military airspace overlay zone" and earlier pre-application notification requirements for renewable energy and other projects. Staff said the overlay would function like a floodplain overlay — it would not ban uses but would provide notice and require early contact with DOD so developers and agencies can consult before formal applications are submitted.
County planning staff said the Planning Commission had its first public hearing on the ordinance in April and that the commission adopted the proposed changes unanimously; the county board was told the ordinance will be on the board's agenda later this summer. Staff emphasized the overlay's stated purpose is safety and coordination — to reduce risk to pilots and to avoid post-construction surprises involving tall structures, electrical transmission, radar interference or new airstrips.
Commissioners asked practical questions about likely impacts, and DOD presenters described specific concerns for low-level routes where aircraft may operate as low as 500 feet above ground and where tall turbines or transmission towers could create hazards. No board-level land-use decisions were made at the work session; staff said the proposal will return to the board for formal action following required plan and code amendments.
