About the Proposed Airport
The proposed project is a new land-based airport and airport access road for the community of Angoon in Southeast Alaska. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is the project sponsor - the party proposing the project. The DOT&PF would maintain and operate the airport if one is built. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for the requirements of public use airports and is the lead federal agency responsible for the preparation of the environmental impact statement for the airport. The DOT&PF is requesting both funding and approval for the proposed airport from the FAA. See Government’s Roles and Responsibilities for more information about the FAA’s role.The DOT&PF proposes to construct the airport and a portion of its associated access road on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service as the Admiralty Island National Monument and Kootznoowoo Wilderness Area. Alternative locations for the proposed airport and access roads are also considered in this EIS.
What are the proposed Airport Alternatives?
Shown on the map below, three possible airport locations are being considered and will be analyzed in the EIS. These locations may be familiar to you, because they are the same ones discussed in public meetings. These sites were identified through technical studies and public, agency, and tribal input as the three most viable locations from an aviation standpoint. Two of the sites (Alternatives 3a and 4) are located in the Admiralty Island National Monument and Kootznoowoo Wilderness Area. The third site (Alternative 12a) is located on the Angoon peninsula. The Airport Alternative 3a location is the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ (DOT&PF) proposed location.
Why did DOT&PF propose a new airport at Angoon?
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 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.
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.
Can you put an airport in a wilderness area?
Yes, an airport can be built in a wilderness area but only under certain circumstances. Management of federal lands in Alaska is distinctive in that uses that would be prohibited in conservation system units in other states are allowed under Alaska Specific Laws. When Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (commonly called ANILCA) in 1980, more than 100 million acres of Alaska lands were transferred into federal ownership. Congress recognized that Alaskans, particularly those living in remote areas, depend on utilities and transportation modes that must often extend across great distances. Air travel is many times the only option. To meet the socioeconomic and public safety needs unique to Alaska, Congress included in ANILCA some exceptions in the ways Alaskans can use federal lands. An important use provided for in ANILCA is the placement of transportation and utility systems on lands such as the Admiralty Island National Monument and Kootznoowoo Wilderness Area.The required steps that must be followed before a transportation system can be placed in a wilderness area in Alaska include the following:
- An evaluation of impacts (that is, an EIS)
- Public hearings in local Alaska areas and in Washington, D.C.
- An independent evaluation of the project by each involved federal agency
- Approval of the project application by the President of the United States and Congress