Frequently Asked Questions:
1. WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)?
2. WHY DID DOT&PF PROPOSE A NEW AIRPORT AT ANGOON?
3. WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE PROJECT TO DATE?
4. WHY IS FAA PREPARING AN EIS FOR THIS PROJECT?
5. WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IN THE EIS PROCESS?
6. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THIS EIS PROCESS?
7. WHAT IS THE PROJECT TEAM DOING RIGHT NOW?
8. WHO CAN BE INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT?
9. WHAT KIND OF AIRPORT IS PROPOSED BY DOT&PF?
10. HOW CAN I STAY INVOLVED?
1. WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS)?
In 1969, the US Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires Federal Agencies analyze and disclose the impacts of their actions and consider those impacts before they make decisions to implement those actions. Specifically, NEPA requires that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) develop a “detailed statement” (NEPA 102(c)) disclosing the potential impacts of a proposed project on human and natural resources if those impacts are likely to have a significant impact or be controversial. The EIS serves as that “detailed statement”, providing a discussion of potential impacts that would occur and informing the FAA and the public of the reasonable alternatives which could avoid or minimize those adverse impacts.
2. WHY DID DOT&PF PROPOSE A NEW AIRPORT AT ANGOON?
The City of Angoon, the only permanent settlement on Admiralty Island, has no road links to any other developed areas and is completely dependent upon either marine or seaplane transportation. It is the largest southeast Alaska community without an airport.
Travel and transport to and from the community is accomplished through day boat ferry service, chartered ferry, or commercial or chartered seaplane. Night landing is prohibited. There are navigational hazards near the seaplane float area, and at certain times of the year, prevailing northeasterly winds make landing difficult. Additionally, in the winter, Favorite Bay periodically ices up, precluding floatplane operations. The Alaska Marine Highway System generally provides ferry service to Angoon once a week during late fall, winter, and early spring, and 2-3 times/week in the summer. The nearest commercial center (Sitka) is over five hours away by ferry.
Because of the combination of isolation and limited transportation options, Angoon has difficulty in accessing emergency health care, markets for its products, and necessary social, recreational, and educational opportunities. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) conducted several studies (see Section 3 below) and determined that an airport that could accommodate Part 135 air carriers (scheduled commuter and unscheduled, on-demand charter carriers) would provide safe and reliable access to health care, goods, and services available in nearby developed areas.
3. WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE PROJECT TO DATE?
In 2004, DOT&PF completed the Angoon Airport Reconnaissance Study (Reconnaissance Study) to identify a favorable location for an airport in Angoon. That study resulted in the identification of a preferred site location (Site 3) on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) east of Favorite Bay. The DOT&PF completed the Angoon Airport Master Plan (Master Plan) in 2007, selecting Site 3 as the State’s preferred alternative and identifying specific facility needs. The DOT&PF Aviation Project Evaluation Board (APEB) then reviewed the Angoon Airport project to determine whether to nominate it to the FAA to receive funding through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The APEB nominated the project and DOT&PF submitted a proposal for the project to the FAA.
FAA has reviewed the proposal and has determined that it would involve federal approvals and funds and therefore is subject to NEPA. The NEPA process is an independent, Federal decision-making process requiring public disclosure of critical planning and environmental information regarding a proposed action and its reasonable alternatives. As stated previously, NEPA requires that the FAA develop a “detailed statement” (NEPA 102(c)) disclosing the potential impacts of the proposed project on human and natural resources. FAA solicited several proposals for this work and has chosen a third-party contractor (SWCA, Inc.) to assist in the preparation of an EIS, which serves as this “detailed statement” of those impacts.
Complete copies of DOT&PF’s background work for the proposed Angoon Airport, including the Master Plan, and the Reconnaissance Study, are found on the Airport Master Plan Documents page of this website.
4. WHY IS FAA PREPARING AN EIS FOR THIS PROJECT?
Based on the proposed airport project and its environmental effects, FAA decides if the Federal action qualifies as a categorical exclusion or requires an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS). Because the proposed new airport could result in significant environmental impacts and/or has the potential for public controversy, preparation of an EIS is required (FAA Order 1050.1E, Section 500c).
Additionally, alternatives being considered by the FAA during the environmental review are located within the Admiralty Island National Monument and/or Kootznoowoo Wilderness (Conservation System Units or CUS), established thorough the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). ANILCA provides for the placement of transportation and utility systems (which include airports and runways) on CUSs, such as designated wilderness. This unique process is spelled out in Title XI of ANILCA (Transportation and Utility Systems in and across, and access into Conservation System Units). Title XI provides very clear guidance on the steps required to site a transportation and/or utility system on a conservation system unit. The process also requires completion of an EIS as well as public hearings in Washington DC and the local area, and independent evaluation of the location by each affected federal agency and the President of the United States. For more information on ANILCA, see the ANILCA page on this website.
5. WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IN THE EIS PROCESS?
The next steps for the process include: 1) FAA publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS, officially marking the start of the EIS process; 2) conducting scoping meetings with federal, state, and local agencies, and interested members of the public; 3) reviewing agency and public input with airport planning data to identify a range of alternative airport locations that will be evaluated in the EIS; 4) analyzing the potential effects of the proposed airport on human and natural resources; 6) publishing the results of that analysis in a draft EIS for public review and comment; 7) responding to agency and public comments on this draft EIS; and 8) publishing a Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) disclosing the FAA’s decision on which alternative has been chosen for implementation.
6. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THIS EIS PROCESS?
As stated previously, the purpose of the EIS process is to inform both the FAA and the public of the impacts of the proposed airport before the decision is made on whether it will be built. An EIS requires the alternatives to the proposed airport site also be analyzed. These alternatives will allow the FAA to look at different options for airport sighting or design to minimize impacts or resource conflicts as much as possible. Additionally, the EIS must analyze a No Action Alternative, which is an alternative which would not construct the airport. The potential outcomes of the EIS process could be the FAA choosing any one of the alternative airport sites analyzed in the EIS, or choosing the No Action Alternative, with the consequence that no airport would be constructed. FAA’s choice will depend on which alternative best meets the project needs while minimizing impacts to both human and natural resources.
7. WHAT IS THE PROJECT TEAM DOING RIGHT NOW?
The FAA project team is currently conducting additional airport planning to supplement and verify information prepared by DOT&PF. This includes the gathering of additional wind data in and around potential airport sites. Temporary wind data collection and data storage equipment have been installed at three sites. One site is located approximately 4 miles southeast of the City of Angoon near the community water storage tank. The second and third sites are both located across Favorite Bay, approximately 1.5 and 2 miles northeast, respectively, of the first site. The second site is located on Kootznoowoo Corporation corridor lands, and the third site is located on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service within the Admiralty Island National Monument. The wind monitors will collect data in Angoon for one to two years to help airport planners determine the best orientation of the runway in relation to prevailing winds.
Additional airport planning factors being analyzed include airport facility requirements, instrument approach modeling, and aviation activity forecasts. The EIS team is integrating this information with environmental, cultural, and land-use information to develop potential alternative(s) to meet the aviation needs of the community while minimizing impacts on natural, cultural, and human resources.
8. WHO CAN BE INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT?
NEPA is an open disclosure process that seeks input from all interested parties. This includes agencies with jurisdictional authority or special expertise over resources that could be impacted by the proposed project, local government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), adjacent landowners, and the interested public.
9. WHAT KIND OF AIRPORT IS PROPOSED BY DOT&PF?
Any land based airport established in Angoon would provide services similar to those in other rural Alaskan communities and would be served by Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 135 air carriers using aircraft such as the Cessna Grand Caravan and the Piper Navajo. Many of the float planes currently used for service are amphibious and would continue to serve the community after the runway is constructed.
DOT&PF prepared the Master Plan, which proposes that the airport include a single runway and required facilities, including a terminal building for passengers, airport support and storage structures, and a vehicle parking area. The Master Plan also proposes that the runway would be developed initially to a length of 3,300 feet with visual approaches serving each runway end and that it have the flexibility for a future extension to a length of 4,000 feet with instrument approach capabilities.
Formal opportunities for public comment occur during the scoping process and after the publication of the draft and final EIS documents. However, the FAA will accept public input throughout the entire EIS study and encourages your participation. You can submit comments online through our Comment form or contact one of the project managers listed on our Contacts page. If you would like to receive project updates, please sign up for our e-mailing list via our Home page.