Existing levels and types of encroachment are key factors that
are evaluated by the Department of Defense and other federal
agencies when considering future missions and the realignment
of assets from one installation to another. To protect the missions
of military facilities and the health of economies and industries
that rely on them, encroachment must be addressed through
mutual information sharing and joint planning efforts by
installations and local communities. This Pinal County Joint Land
Use Study (JLUS) identifies and strives to mitigate existing
compatibility issues, as well as prevent future issues, while
strengthening coordination between the Arizona Army National
Guard (AZARNG) and communities near to AZARNG sites and
training areas in Pinal County.
Along with Pinal County, four communities participated as
stakeholders in this JLUS. These are the four closest communities
to the four AZARNG sites that were a part of this JLUS. These
communities are:
The Town of Queen Creek (closest to Rittenhouse Training
Site;
The Town of Florence (closest to Florence Military
Reservation);
The City of Eloy (closest to Picacho Peak Stagefield); and
The Town of Marana (closest to Silverbell Army Heliport).
The Pinal County JLUS advocates a proactive approach to
encourage increased communication about decisions relating
to land use regulation and airspace operations, AZARNG
activities in Pinal County, conservation, and natural resource
management issues affecting both the community and the
military. This JLUS seeks to avoid land use and airspace
operations conflicts by engaging the military and local
decision-makers in a proactive, collaborative and multi-agency
planning process.
2
Introduction