Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT 1 (September, 2014 Draft) Draft Environmental Assessment – Jet Service

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

An Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates the effects of a proposed Federal action on the surrounding environment and is prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Order 1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, and FAA Order 5050.4B, Airport Environmental Handbook, describe Federal airport and aviation actions that trigger the requirement for EAs and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs). Both FAA Orders also provide detailed guidance on the preparation of airport and aviation environmental studies. This EA identifies the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed development action explained below, demonstrates how identified impacts can be eliminated or mitigated, and provides the context for public involvement and comment. This EA assesses the impact categories required by FAA Orders 1050.1E and 5050.4B in relationship to the proposed project.

1.1 Proposed Action SkyWest has provided service from the early 1980’s to present at the Yellowstone Airport (WYS) in West Yellowstone, Montana, with turboprop aircraft. As part of a 2-year solicitation for proposal for Essential Air Service, SkyWest proposed servicing WYS in 2012 with a Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, with consideration to provide jet service in future years with a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200) (50-passenger turbojet aircraft), should turbojet service be approved. SkyWest’s EAS proposal letter is provided in Appendix I. SkyWest again served WYS with the EMB 120 in 2013 and is continuing with this service in 2014. It is proposed to initiate jet service with the 2015 commercial season (June 1, 2015), provided turbojet serviced is approved. In order to facilitate such a change in aircraft, a request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to amend the Airline’s Operations Specifications is required. The modification of the Airlines Operations Specification is to substitute the current service to/from Salt Lake City (SLC) from utilization of Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft to a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200). This is the Proposed Action at WYS. There is no proposed increase in the number of flights per day, the timing of flight arrivals and departures during the day, nor flight paths between the two aircraft. The proposed change is for the type of aircraft, from the present EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop to the proposed Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200. The existing EMB 120 is a Category B-II aircraft, while the CRJ200 is a Category C-II aircraft. WYS is certificated under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 139 as a C-III airport. Approach Category B aircraft are those with approach speeds of 91 knots or more, but less than 121 knots, and C aircraft are those with approach speeds of 121 knots or more, but less than 141 knots. Airplane Design Group (ADG) ADG II refers to tail heights of 20’ < 30’ and wingspan of 49’ < 79’and ADG III refers to tail heights of 30’

Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT 2 (September, 2014 Draft) Draft Environmental Assessment – Jet Service

< 45’ and wingspan of 79’ < 118’. Given that the airport meets design criteria for Approach Category C and Airplane Design Group III aircraft, there are no physical improvements that would be necessary at the airport in order to accommodate the proposed change in aircraft type. Therefore, the Proposed Action is limited to the amendment of the Airline’s Operations Specification. This EA, completed under the direction of the Montana Department of Transportation – Aeronautics Division (Airport Sponsor), to be reviewed and potentially approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, identifies the potential environmental impacts associated with the Proposed Action for the Yellowstone Airport. Pending approval, turbojet service is intended to be scheduled as early as the 2015 season (beginning June 1, 2015) for the Airport. Alternatives to turbojet service are discussed in detail in Chapter 3 – Alternatives Considered of this document.

1.2 Background and Existing Facilities West Yellowstone, Montana has a very small resident population with approximately 4,000 people residing within a 45 minute drive. Area resident population increases significantly in the summer with the annual influx of second home owners. West Yellowstone provides lodging, tours and shopping for visitors to Yellowstone National Park and offers a base for a variety of recreational activities in the region. The Yellowstone Airport, serving the Town of West Yellowstone, Gallatin County, and Yellowstone National Park has existed since the early 1930’s and is used for business, governmental, recreational, emergency medical flights, and personal use. The airport is also home to the West Yellowstone Interagency Fire Center Smokejumper / Air Tanker Base. The Airport is located in southwest Montana, approximately 1 mile north of the Town of West Yellowstone, Montana (Figure 1-1). The Airport lies in portions of Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, 29, and 29, Township 13 South, Range 5 East, P.M.M., Gallatin County, State of Montana. Access to the airport is provided via U.S. Highway 191. The Airport is surrounded by the Gallatin National Forest, with the border of Yellowstone National Park approximately 0.2 miles to the east at the closest point to airport property. West Yellowstone is located approximately 90 miles south of Bozeman, Montana, 109 miles northeast of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and 126 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming. The Town of West Yellowstone sewer lagoons are located at the extreme south end of the Airport, as is U.S. Highway 20 to Targhee Pass. The Airport’s elevation is 6,649 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) with the mean maximum temperature of the warmest month of 79°F. The Airport has a total area of approximately 735.9 acres, all of which are owned in fee by Montana Department of Transportation – Aeronautics Division. There are 8.14 acres that are under special use permits from the United States Forest Service. The Yellowstone Airport was dedicated at its current location on June 12th, 1965. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Western Airlines served the airport on a seasonal basis with Lockheed L-188 “Electra” propjets with the airline then replacing this turboprop service with Boeing 737-200 jet flights direct to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and southern

Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT 3 (September, 2014 Draft) Draft Environmental Assessment – Jet Service

Figure 1-1: Location Map

Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT 4 (September, 2014 Draft) Draft Environmental Assessment – Jet Service

California. Western operated at WYS with jet service into the early 1980’s before SkyWest became a Western Express Carrier and entered with Metro lines (twin prop). The original Frontier Airlines served the airport as well with direct Boeing 737-200 jetliner service to Denver which was operated on a seasonal basis. SkyWest Airlines, operating as the Delta Connection with the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, has been operating out of the Yellowstone Airport since the mid 1980’s. Commercial air traffic operates at WYS from June 1st through September 30th with a required minimum of 14 round trips per week under the current EAS contract. For the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons, SkyWest has operated two round trips daily on weekdays with three on weekends for a total of 16 round trips per week. Arrival and departure times all occur during daylight hours with arrival times of 11:29 a.m. (weekends only), 12:43 p.m., and 4:43 p.m. The last remaining flight departs at a scheduled time of 5:45 p.m. daily. The Airport has also served other larger jets to include C5A’s, C-141’s, and Air Force One (Boeing 747-200B) as recently as 2009. Boeing F/A-18 Hornets have utilized the airport for air show support in the region, and a C-17 Globemaster has also been scheduled into the airport. The Airport has also hosted numerous jet and turboprop aircraft of various sizes in support of firefighting operations and private use. Current Airport airside facilities include one grooved asphalt runway as follows: RW 01/19 at 8,399’ x 150’, with a weight bearing capacity of 30,000 pounds for single wheel gear configuration, 150,000 pounds dual wheel, and 280,000 pounds dual tandem wheel. Additional facilities include four connecting taxiways between Runway 01/19 and the full length, 75’ wide, parallel taxiway. A main apron area of approximately 250’ x 2,100’ is also shared by commercial and general aviation traffic. Runway 01/19 has high intensity runway lights (HIRL) with a 4-Box Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI), a 1,400’ foot medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights (MALSR), and Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway 01 and a 4-box Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) and Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs) for Runway 19. There is also a localizer, non-directional beacon (NDB), Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS III), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) system. There are no hangars on the airport, or based aircraft reported, largely due that this is a seasonal airport with no winter snow removal maintenance conducted. Existing structures consist of the Fixed Based Operator’s (FBO) building, Airport’s Crash Rescue (SRE) building, and the main terminal building. The West Yellowstone Interagency Fire Center Smokejumper / Air Tanker Base facilities are located off airport property, but inside the existing animal control fence that surrounds the airport. The Base airside facilities access the parallel taxiway via two taxilanes. Runway 01 is a precision instrument (ILS) runway with a glide slope, with RW 19 being a non-precision runway. The FAA defines a precision instrument runway as one having an existing instrument approach procedure utilizing an ILS, or a Precision Approach Radar (PAR). A non-precision instrument runway is defined as one having an existing approach procedure utilizing air navigation facilities with only horizontal guidance, or

Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT 5 (September, 2014 Draft) Draft Environmental Assessment – Jet Service

area type navigation equipment, for which a straight-in instrument approach procedure has been approved or planned. There are currently four published instrument approach procedures to Runway 01/19. The approach for Runway 19 is a Radio Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) approach with landing minimums as low as a 600 foot ceiling and 2-mile visibility. There are three approach procedures to Runway 01; 1) Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) RW 01, 2) RNAV (GPS), and 3) ILS or Localizer (LOC) RW 01. Runway 01 has landing minimums as low as 200 foot ceiling and ½-mile visibility. The FAA’s Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for 2010 to present, reflects a total of 10,590 operations, with the following breakdown: 516 air taxi (SkyWest), 7500 itinerant general aviation, 74 military, and 2,500 local general aviation. Enplanements were noted as 4,977 per the TAF for 2011, a growth of close to 30% over the last five years.