SPONSOR: Pinedale Airport Board, Pinedale, WY
DATE: 2005
Engineering Fee: $106,292
SERVICES PROVIDED:
· Environmental Assessment for Land Acquisition and for Runway Extension
· Consult on Land Acquisition
· FAA and State Grant Administration
The Pinedale area is a highly prized outdoor recreation area. It is also the center of Wyoming’s most intensive natural gas development. Airport users include major oil and gas companies, non-resident individuals who own large tracts of land for recreational purposes, and the local people who enjoy the hobby of flying light aircraft. Maintaining the area’s pristine environment is a primary concern to many local residents.
The Pinedale Airport/Ralph Wenz Field is situated on a bench immediately east of the New Fork River. Many of the non-resident landowners, as well as the energy companies, fly into the airport on small and mid-size jets. Because of this traffic, it was determined that the runway of the Pinedale airport needed to be lengthened.
Lengthening the runway required purchasing additional land. The required property involved several parcels, some occupied by upscale homes. A prerequisite to purchasing these properties was to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) to assure critical environmental concerns were adequately addressed.
The river near the airport is a blue ribbon trout stream. It also provides summer range for bald eagles, osprey, several other birds of prey, and waterfowl. Mule deer and moose heavily use the area, especially during winter months. Nearby residents prize these natural attributes, and they value the area’s quiet setting.
The EA had to address potential biotic communities’ impacts. Of particular concern were bald eagles that were nesting within 2.5 miles of the airport. In addition, the biotic communities inventory determined that some properties to be purchased had wetlands on them. Area residents expressed concern that jet traffic might increase and create an unacceptable noise level.
During the environmental assessment process, it was determined that the isolated wetlands were not under the Corps of Engineer’s jurisdiction. It was also determined that the nesting bald eagles would experience no greater disturbance than they were already accustomed to experiencing. Finally, it was concluded that no significant impacts could be identified in extending the runway as it would not increase air traffic but would safely accommodate the traffic already using the airport.