FAA UPDATE: 13 September 2010

Leslie.Grey@faa.gov
Subject: Kodiak Airport EIS project update                

All,
This message is to inform agencies and other interested parties of
the status of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared by
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  I think you are all aware
the purpose of the EIS is to evaluate actions proposed by the Airport
operator, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(ADOT&PF) to bring the facility into compliance with the most current
national aviation safety standards for runway safety areas.


First, I would like to thank many of you for attending our various
Anchorage and Kodiak meetings in late June.  My consulting team and I found
them very informative, particularly as we were able to further explore
comments from agencies concerning the Preliminary Draft EIS (PDEIS), and
discuss some of our proposed changes to the document in response to your
concerns.


As I informed meeting participants earlier this summer, our efforts to
complete the Draft EIS (DEIS) are focused in two areas.  At this time, FAA
is conducting a comprehensive review of the alternatives to affirm that the
EIS includes a suitable range of practicable and feasible runway safety
area enhancements for the runways in consideration.  I can tell you the
Draft EIS will include some different alternatives than were evaluated in
the PDEIS.  Second, we are thoroughly reviewing and, in some cases,
revising our impact analyses not only to consider the new alternatives but
to address substantive comments made by those of you who reviewed the
PDEIS.  We are also working on all other aspects of the EIS to respond to
comments and assure an appropriate level of disclosure when the DEIS is
released for public review.


I plan to schedule another round of meetings in the near future with as
many of you as possible.  Our intent will be to present you with a detailed
explanation of the alternatives, including the physical and operational
factors that limit or even prevent consideration of some options and other
rationale used to screen impracticable alternatives or those not feasible.
We will spend time reviewing the alternatives that are undergoing a full
environmental analysis, and I hope to be able at that time to present you
with FAA's preferred alternatives.


The current schedule for the project has the Draft EIS being released
during the first half of 2011.  As we get closer to completion of the
analysis and documentation, I will provide additional updates to inform you
of our progress and next steps.

Let me know if you have questions or concerns, at the contact information
below.  Additionally, the project website (kodiakairporteis.com) has
background information about the project.


P.S.  Please let me know if you should no longer be on our e-mail
distribution list, or if your contact information has changed. In addition,
if there are others in your organization who should receive these updates
and other information concerning the Kodiak Airport EIS, please forward
this message.  Thanks, Leslie


Leslie A. Grey
Environmental Protection Specialist
FAA - Alaskan Region, Airports Division
907-271-5453

Rare Plant in Path of Runway Extension Toward Buskin River

Below the photo is a correct version of the story that appeared in the Kodiak Daily Mirror on September 8 2010.

Article published on Wednesday, Sep 08th, 2010
By SAM FRIEDMAN
Mirror Writer
A rare plant that had been documented only three times before in the world is suddenly making appearances in two different parts of Kodiak.
It’s called sessileleaf scurvygrass and it does not look like much. It’s a short plant between 2 and 3 inches tall with small white flowers and big green seedpods.
What is special about it at first glance is that it lives in an unusual place for a type of plant that usually grows on land. It seems to thrive below the tide line in lagoons, where it is completely submersed in brackish water twice a day.
The plant’s name comes from its relation to the common scurvy grass, a vitamin C-rich plant once eaten by sailors to treat and prevent scurvy. It is a member of the cabbage family.
Previously the plant had only been observed two times on the Kodiak Archipelago and once on the Kenai Peninsula. The first time it was identified by scientists was in the 1930s.
But this year Kodiak botanist Stacy Studebaker came across it three times in one summer. First on Sitkalidak Island and then close to Kodiak near the mouth of the Buskin River.
“Nobody knows much about it,” she said. “That’s what is so exciting about it. How does it disperse its seeds? How does it get pollinated when it is under water half the time? Is it an annual or a perennial? Nobody knows.”
Studebaker discovered the sessileleaf scurvygrass populations on Sitkalidak Island as part of her annual plant survey of a part of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. She first found it in McCord Bay and then found it in similar habitat in Sitkalida Lagoon
The discovery on the Buskin River came by accident when she described the plant to refuge biologist Bill Pyle, who said the plant sounded like something he had seen before at the Buskin.
An investigation of the Buskin revealed a large population not far from the mouth of the river.
The search also found two other rare plants, the Alaska mist maiden and the popcorn flower, neither as rare as the scurvy grass. Both have white flowers, although the popcorn flower has long skinny leaves while the Alaska mist maiden has large, scalloped leaves.
Studebaker said the presence of rare plants made her want to get more involved in a local conservation issue she was already watching closely, the planned expansion of the Kodiak State Airport runway.
The project is part of a required safety expansion to add buffer zones around airport runways. For the north-south runway the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering an alternative that would extend the land around the end of the runway by 1,200 feet toward the mouth of the Buskin.
Studebaker favors an alternative that would expand the runway toward the Coast Guard Base to the south. An expansion of the runway to the north would be devastating to the newly discovered plants, she said.
“They (the FAA) have this whole team of biologists and scientist who supposedly looked at this area,” she said. “They didn’t find the rare plants. That makes me wonder what else they might have missed.”
Studebaker wrote the FAA to tell the agency about the plant after her new discovery.
She has long been skeptical that an expansion toward the Buskin could be done without harming the river’s salmon run.
The FAA has been working on its environmental impact statement for the project since 2007. It recently announced it is going to push back its public release of a draft environmental impact study from fall 2010 to some time in the first half of 2011.
The sessileleaf scurvygrass is not considered an endangered species because so little is known about it. But it is in the category of rarest plants on the Alaska Natural Heritage Program rare vascular plant tracking list.
Mirror writer Sam Friedman can be reached via e-mail at sfriedman@kodiakdailymirror.com

Update 30 May 2010

At this time, we are still awaiting word from Leslie Grey at the FAA as to when the draft EIS for the Runway Extension Project will be available for public review.
We suggest checking this blog or the Stewards of the Buskin River Facebook page on a weekly basis for notification.
Or email Leslie Grey directly and ask to be put on the email notification list.

Kodiak Road System Trails Plan Community Meeting

JOIN US FOR A COMMUNITY TRAIL MEETING!

MAY 18, 2010
6 – 9 P.M.
NORTH STAR SCHOOL

Do you walk, bike, four-wheel, run, ski, snowshoe or ride a snow machine on trails in the Kodiak Island Borough?
Do you want to see those trails used, improved and managed well now and into the future?
The Borough’s Park and Recreation Committee, with help from the Community Development Department and a trails planning consulting team is preparing a new Road System Trails Master Plan. We need your help to make sure the Plan meets the needs of residents like you.
Please join us to learn more about the Plan and give us your ideas.
PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 6:15 FOLLOWED BY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON MEETING DISPLAYS.
WRAP-UP AND WHAT’S NEXT? AT 8:30.
For additional information:
Contact Bud Cassidy, Community Development Director at 907-486-9360 or
bcassidy@kodiakak.us
Be sure to check out the Plan’s website at www.kodiaktrailsplan.com

The purpose of the Kodiak Island Road System Trails Plan is to ensure continued access and maximum use of trails by all citizens.

·         Public participation of all trail users

·         Mapping of existing trails;

·         Trail Management;

·         Trail design guidelines;

·         Creating a Trail User Map and Educational Programs;

·         Establishing future funding sources for trail maintenance and development

UPDATE 29 APRIL 2010 from Leslie Grey, FAA

All,
This message is to provide a status for the Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) being prepared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The
purpose of the EIS is to evaluate actions proposed by the Airport operator,
Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADPT&PF) to
bring the facility into compliance with the most current national aviation
safety standards for runway safety areas.
 
The FAA and the EIS consulting team are coordinating with local, state, and
federal agencies as well as local tribal organizations, to assist in the
preparation of the Draft EIS which will be released for public, agency and
tribal review and comment before the FAA conducts a public hearing for the
project.  Further, FAA is conducting a thorough review of the alternatives
to assure that the EIS includes a suitable range of practicable and
feasible runway safety area enhancements for the runways in consideration.
 
The current schedule for the project has the Draft EIS being released this
fall, with the public hearing occurring before the holidays.  As we get
closer to completion of the analysis and documentation, I will provide
additional updates to inform you of our progress and next steps.
 
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns, at the contact
information below.  Additionally, the project website
(kodiakairporteis.com) has background information about the project.
 
Leslie A. Grey
Environmental Protection Specialist
FAA - Alaskan Region, Airports Division
907-271-5453
 

Buskin May Not Reach Red Salmon Escapement Goal

Article published on Friday, March 19th, 2010 in Kodiak Daily Mirror
By LOUIS GARCIA
Mirror Writer

The Buskin River may have a low sockeye salmon return this year.

“Based on low escapements of prior years, it’s not looking like we’re going to have a strong run in 2010,” said Donn Tracy, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) area management biologist in Kodiak.

The escapement goal for the Buskin is 8,000 to 13,000 fish. In 2008 the sockeye salmon escapement was 15,000, which is the historical average, and a number that Tracy doesn’t expect to reach.

“I don’t think we’ll see that number of fish here,” he said. “Might make the goal, but probably won’t make the historical average.”

There are no concrete numbers yet for the count, but Tracy is hopeful the count will be enough that it doesn’t affect fishing.

“I don’t know if it will be closed, and there is no reason to speculate that we’ll be closing sport or subsistence fishing,” Tracy said. “I hope not, and I hope I’m even wrong about the below-average return. As long as we reach that escapement goal we’ll have the sport and subsistence fisheries proceed.”

The lower escapement number has to do with too many sockeye in the Buskin. The years of 2008 and 2009 had some of the highest escapements recorded for the Buskin and were well above the target number of spawning fish ADF&G likes to see in that drainage on an annual basis.

“It’s very likely that the spawning success of those high years of escapement exceeded the carrying capacity in the Buskin drainage,” Tracy said. “Overescapement is basically like having cattle in a fenced-in field or pasture grazing on the available grass. If you have too many they will overgraze what food would be available and subsequently starve and end up with fewer cattle than if you had less in the first place.”

The Buskin was closed for both subsistence and sport fisheries in 2008 and 2009.

Another issue facing sockeye salmon stocks is the lack of a weir at Pasagshak.

The river has a sockeye run that is important for subsistence and commercial fishing.

Unlike the Buskin however, there is no weir to monitor escapements to help aim for a target of fish to keep the numbers healthy. Instead, aerial surveys are conducted periodically over Pasagshak by the commercial fisheries staff.

“It’s a means of counting and estimating fish abundance when you don’t have a weir, but it’s less than optimal because you’re trying to look down from an airplane,” Tracy said. “Also, the biggest drawback with air survey is fish already have to be in a lake. So you’re kind of in a reactive situation than a proactive. By the time you count, the harvest has already taken place.”

This is a big issue when trying to accurately manage fish.

“We don’t have an ability to in-season manage the various user groups,” Tracy said. “It’s a big disadvantage. With a weir we could monitor the fish in-season, and if we had too few fish we could take in-season measure on sport, subsistence and possibly commercial users to limit harvests to meet the escapement objective.”

Currently, ADF&G does not have funding to install a weir at Pasagshak.

Mirror writer Louis Garcia can be reached at lgarcia@kodiakdailymirror.com.

KSP CAB letter to Kodiak/Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council

This letter is being submitted to the Kodiak/Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council meeting in Kodiak on March 23 2010 at the KNWR Visitor Center.  In light of recent ADF&G projections of low red salmon returns to the Buskin in 2010, the need for protecting Buskin salmon runs takes on even more urgency.
Kodiak State Parks
CITIZENS’ ADVISORY BOARD
1400 Abercrombie Dr.
Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone 486-6339 Fax 486-3320
kodiakstateparks@alaska.gov
March 9, 2010

Kodiak/Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council
Office of Subsistence Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 E. Tudor Road, Mail Stop 121
Anchorage, Alaska 99503

Dear Council members:

The Kodiak State Parks Citizens’ Advisory Board is very concerned about FAA proposals for runway extensions at the Kodiak Airport. The current draft version of the project EIS states clearly that a proposed 1200 foot extension of the North/south Runway 18/36 toward the mouth of the Buskin River will have serious adverse effects on salmon runs in the Buskin River. The draft admits that salmon runs will be damaged. In addition, the extension will block some areas where subsistence fishers have traditionally placed their nets.

We also oppose any extension of Runway 07/25 into Chiniak Bay due to potential interference with subsistence fishing and damage to Buskin River salmon runs.

The area offshore of the Buskin is the most important subsistence fishing area on the Kodiak road system for both Native and non-native Kodiak residents and has a long tradition of local families and individuals depending on it for their yearly supply of salmon. It is an easily accessible area, relatively sheltered, and highly productive for both red and Coho salmon (and the occasional king salmon as well). Because it can be fished with a small skiff and motor launched from the Dog Bay boat ramp just a couple miles away, the equipment required does not impose a restrictive financial burden on subsistence fishers nor does is entail high risk to fishers.

The EIS drafts state that damage to Buskin River runs is not a cause for concern as fishers can simply move to other areas such as Pasagshak or Litnik. Pasagshak and Litnik have higher expenses and risk, as they require either trailering a boat over a narrow, winding mountain pass road or traveling a considerable distance over open ocean.

We urge you, as a Council, to oppose any extension of 18/36 in the direction of the Buskin River. As you will see in our comments to the FAA copied below, we favor extending the runway in the opposite direction toward what is locally known as “Jewel Beach” on the USCG Base. (Alternative 4) This area is not regularly used for subsistence fishing. We also urge to oppose extension of Runway 07/25 into Chiniak Bay.

Comments on the Kodiak Airport Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted by the Kodiak State Parks Citizens’ Advisory Board in May 2009

The KSPCAB consists of Kodiak residents representing a cross-section of the community. We are interested in all issues as they pertain to Alaska State Parks in the Kodiak archipelago and their effects on all user groups of the parks. We are commenting on this EIS because it has the potential to directly affect the Buskin River State Recreation Site.
The Board is unanimous in its opposition to any extension of Runway 18/36 in the direction of the Buskin State Recreation Site; in addition, we are strongly opposed to extension of Runway 07/25 into Chiniak Bay.

BACKGROUND: On April 20, 2009, Brad Rolf from the Barnard Dunkelberg & Company Consulting Team gave a presentation to the KSPCAB and answered questions concerning the proposed runway extensions. In preparation for a discussion of the proposed alternatives, Board members individually reviewed the information on the project web site. We met on May 18, 2009, and discussed the project at great length over a period of approximately two hours with the information from the web site available for reference. Eleven members were present: ten voting and one USCG ex-officio non-voting member. The entire Board has unanimously approved the comments in this letter.
RUNWAY 18/36: KSPCAB endorses “Runway 18/36 Alternative 4 – Extend Runway end 36
RSA landmass by 600 feet and use declared distances” as the preferred alternative. Our second choice would be “Alternative 1 No Action.” We absolutely oppose Alternatives 2, 3, & 5 because they involve extension toward the Buskin River. It should be noted that there was considerable support for “Alternative 1 – No Action” for this runway.
Our support for Alternative 4 stems from the following reasons:

Sports fishers, picnickers, hikers, beachcombers, campers, etc., use the Buskin River State Recreation Site, which is probably the most important outdoor recreation area on the Kodiak Road System.

Group sites are used by all the different socio-economic and ethnic groups of our community for picnics and other group activities.

It is the one sport fish area that people can access easily from town to fish for
salmon and Dolly Varden trout – in fact, kids can ride their bikes to this river to go fishing.

Furthermore, many people who fish this river are rod and reel subsistence fishers. The area is very scenic with long beautiful beaches for walking and beachcombing, woodland trails, and wildlife

viewing of bears, foxes, birds and marine mammals such as sea otters and sea lions. Tourists as well as locals use this area for recreation.

Concern for impact on fisheries: the Buskin River red salmon run was extremely low in 2008. Even if the reasons for this collapse can be determined, we feel that any disturbance of the river cannot be allowed. Chiniak Bay, just off the mouth of the Buskin River, is a vital gill-net subsistence area. We cannot afford to do anything that might jeopardize that fishery in any way. Any fill beyond the current existing runway in the direction of the Buskin River is unacceptable.
Concern for aesthetics: any sort of extension toward the mouth of the Buskin River will create an eyesore that will greatly distract from the recreational experience of users of the area. A huge gravel berm looming over the river is not what residents and visitors want to see when they visit this area.
RUNWAY 07/25: KSPCAB endorses “Runway 07/25 RSA Alternative 1 – No Action”; in the event that some action is deemed necessary, we support “Runway 07/25 RSA Alternative 3 – Extend Runway end 25 RSA landmass by 425 feet and install EMAS” because it would have less direct impact on Chiniak Bay.
Basically, the KSPCAB fears that any fill extending into Chiniak Bay has the potential for negative impacts on currents and tidal action in the area, which could adversely impact boaters, salmon migration, subsistence and sport fisheries, waterfowl, and marine mammals.
In conclusion, on behalf of the KSPCAB, I would like to reiterate our concern for the negative impacts of runway extension in the Buskin River area. While we do not claim to be experts on aviation safety, we have not seen any evidence in any presentation or on-line materials that a safety problem currently exists at the Kodiak State Airport and that the proposed runway extensions are necessary. No statistics or safety studies have been cited that demonstrate a need for any action on runway extension. In light of this fact and the potential for negative impacts on the Buskin River area, we feel that our recommendations deserve serious consideration in determining what action, if any, will be recommended in the EIS.
Thank you for considering our remarks on this EIS.
Sincerely,


Mike Sirofchuck
KSPCAB Chairperson

Kodiak State Parks Advisory Board letter to FAA

For background information on the runway extension proposals, see the January 3rd post.

Kodiak State Parks

CITIZENS’ ADVISORY BOARD

1400 Abercrombie Dr.

Kodiak, AK  99615

Phone 486-6339 Fax 486-3320

kodiakstateparks@alaska.gov

May 27, 2009

Leslie Grey - AAL 614

Federal Aviation Administration, Airports Division

222 West 7th Avenue, Box #14

Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7587

Dear Ms. Grey:

Here are comments on the Kodiak Airport Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the Kodiak State Parks Citizens’ Advisory Board.  The KSPCAB consists of Kodiak residents representing a cross-section of the community. We are interested in all issues as they pertain to Alaska State Parks in the Kodiak archipelago and their effects on all user groups of the parks. We are commenting on this EIS because it has the potential to directly affect the Buskin River State Recreation Site.

The Board is unanimous in its opposition to any extension of Runway 18/36 in the direction of the Buskin State Recreation Site; in addition, we are strongly opposed to extension of Runway 07/25 into Chiniak Bay.

BACKGROUND:  On April 20, 2009, Brad Rolf from the Barnard Dunkelberg & Company Consulting Team gave a presentation to the KSPCAB and answered questions concerning the proposed runway extensions. In preparation for a discussion of the proposed alternatives, Board members individually reviewed the information on the project web site.  We met on May 18, 2009, and discussed the project at great length over a period of approximately two hours with the information from the web site available for reference. Eleven members were present: ten voting and one USCG ex-officio non-voting member.  The entire Board has unanimously approved the comments in this letter.

RUNWAY 18/36:  KSPCAB endorses “Runway 18/36 Alternative 4 – Extend Runway end 36

RSA landmass by 600 feet and use declared distances” as the preferred alternative. Our second choice would be “Alternative 1 No Action.” We absolutely oppose Alternatives 2, 3, & 5 because they involve extension toward the Buskin River.  It should be noted that there was considerable support for “Alternative 1 – No Action” for this runway.

Our support for Alternative 4 stems from the following reasons:

            Sports fishers, picnickers, hikers, beachcombers, campers, etc., use the Buskin River State Recreation Site,

            which is probably the most important outdoor recreation area on the Kodiak Road System.

            Group sites are used by all the different socio-economic and ethnic groups of our community for picnics

            and other group activities.  It is the one sport fish area that people can access easily from town to fish for

salmon and Dolly Varden trout – in fact, kids can ride their bikes to this river to go fishing.  Furthermore, many people who fish this river are rod and reel subsistence fishers.  The area is very scenic with long beautiful beaches for walking and beachcombing, woodland trails, and wildlife viewing, including bears, foxes, birds and marine mammals such as sea otters and sea lions. Tourists as well as locals use this area for recreation.

Concern for impact on fisheries: the Buskin River red salmon run was extremely low in 2008.  Even if  the reasons for this collapse can be determined, we feel that any disturbance of the river cannot be allowed.

            Chiniak Bay just off the mouth of the Buskin River is a vital gill-net subsistence area.  We cannot afford

            to do anything that might jeopardize that fishery in any way. Any fill beyond the current existing runway

            in the direction of the Buskin River is unacceptable.

Concern for aesthetics:  any sort of extension toward the mouth of the Buskin River will create an eyesore that will greatly distract from the recreational experience of users of the area. A huge gravel berm looming over the river is not what residents and visitors want to see when they visit this area.

RUNWAY 07/25:  KSPCAB endorses “Runway 07/25 RSA Alternative 1 – No Action”; in the event that some action is deemed necessary, we support “Runway 07/25 RSA Alternative 3 – Extend Runway end

25 RSA landmass by 425 feet and install EMAS” because it would have less direct impact on Chiniak Bay.

            Basically, the KSPCAB fears that any fill extending into Chiniak Bay has the potential for negative

            impacts on currents and tidal action in the area, which could adversely impact boaters, salmon migration,

            subsistence and sport fisheries, waterfowl, and marine mammals.

In conclusion, on behalf of the KSPCAB, I would like to reiterate our concern for the negative impacts of runway extension in the Buskin River area.  While we do not claim to be experts on aviation safety, we have not seen any evidence in any presentation or on-line materials that a safety problem currently exists at the Kodiak State Airport and that the proposed runway extensions are necessary.  No statistics or safety studies have been cited that demonstrate a need for any action on runway extension.  In light of this fact and the potential for negative impacts on the Buskin River area, we feel that our recommendations deserve serious consideration in determining what action, if any, will be recommended in the EIS.

Thank you for considering our remarks on this EIS.

Sincerely,

Mike Sirofchuck

KSPCAB Chairperson

Introduction to the FAA Kodiak Runway Extension Proposals

The red line on the photo shows the original plan that the FAA was proposing. They wanted to fill in the area within the line to extend the entire land mass surrounding the runways out 1000 feet beyond where the shore is presently. The red and yellow blocks represent the FAA's current alternatives.   

Stewards of the Buskin River State Recreation Site

The purpose of this group is to oppose any plans by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to extend the north-south runway #18/36 at the Kodiak Airport toward the Buskin River. This is a proactive effort to get the facts out about this issue to interested people before this proposal is a done deal. At this point, your action can shape the future of the Buskin River State Recreation Site. If you are willing to help, read on.

For the last 3 years, the FAA has been preparing an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) for a proposal to expand the Runway Safety Areas on the runways at the Kodiak Airport. The FAA believes that by doing this, it will lesson the potential for aircraft damage.

Currently, a PDEIS (Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement) is circulating among a select group of agencies and organizations that have direct regulatory jurisdiction over the area and its resources. (USFWS, ADF&G, Alaska State Parks, Tribal groups, USCG) A few scoping meetings were held to gather input from these agencies and a select group of organizations but no meetings have been held for the general public to review the plans and various alternatives. No opportunities for the general public will be scheduled to review or comment on the plans until the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) is completed sometime early in 2010.

Although Preferred Alternatives have not been identified yet, the FAA is seriously considering Alternative #3, to extend the landmass of runway #18/36 (the north-south runway) 1,200 feet toward the mouth of the Buskin River from the present end of the runway parallel to the existing beach between the river and the ocean.  (see attached photo)

In addition, the FAA is considering extending the landmass of runway #07/25 (the east-west runway) 800 feet straight out into Chiniak Bay from the existing end of runway.

The potential for impacts on the environment, fish and wildlife, recreation, and subsistence by Alternative #3 make the proposed action impracticable and unacceptable, especially when there is a viable alternative. Alternative #4 would extend the landmass of the north-south runway southward instead of northward and would have far fewer impacts.

Because of its close proximity to town, the Buskin River is used more for sport and subsistence fishing than any other river on the road system. 

Here are some of the potential impacts of Alternative #3 on the Buskin River area.

• Placing fill in marine waters would result in direct habitat loss for marine birds. Chiniak Bay was designated as an Important Bird Area of Global Significance in 2008 by Birdlife International and the National Audubon Society for habitat of three bird species of conservation concern; Black oystercatcher, Steller’s Eider, and Emperor Goose.

• Placing fill in marine waters would have adverse impacts on pink, chum, red, and coho salmon.

• Placing fill in this area would have direct effects on natural physical processes that dictate stream flow and hydrodynamics that shape aquatic habitats and species that live there.

• Placing fill in this area will directly impact the view shed of the ocean from Buskin River. With the 1,200 foot landmass extension that will be approximately 30 feet high, from the existing north end of runway #18/36, most of the present ocean view from the Buskin River beach and parking lot will be obstructed and only a small view of the ocean will remain toward town.

• Placing fill in this area will reduce access to beach areas at the mouth of the Buskin River for sport and subsistence fishing, environmental education, birding, beach combing, walking.

Here’s what you can do:

Promote Alternative #4 for Runway 18/36 to extend the N-S runway to the south instead of to the north toward the mouth of the Buskin River.

Stay informed. Read the information on the FAA’s website: http://www.kodiakairporteis.com/ 

Watch for announcements of meetings and attend meetings to get the facts.

Write to the FAA: Leslie Grey: Leslie.Grey@faa.gov or comments@kodiakairporteis.com 

Write letters to the editor of the Kodiak Daily Mirror: 

Get others involved by spreading the information.