Weaverville Airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems--a national priority system that guides the distribution of aviation funds.

The five public airports that serve Trinity County provide a valuable transportation resource by serving tourists, businesses, seasonal residents and commuters. The five airports are:

Hayfork Airport

• Located in the community of Hayfork (population 2,500)
• Classified as Community airport; VFR rated
• No fixed base operator
• Single asphalt paved two-way runway – 4,100 feet in length, 60 feet in width
• 18 tie-downs and two hangers
• No fueling facilities
• General Aviation facility that serves Aircraft Design Group 1 (aircraft with wingspans up to 49 feet)
• Annual operations, approximately $17,000

Hyampom Airport

• Located in the community of Hyampom (population 300)
• Classified as Community airport
• No fixed base operator
• Single asphalt paved two-way runway – 2,980 feet in length, 60 feet in width
• 12 tie-downs
• No fueling facilities

Ruth Airport

• Located in the community of Ruth (population 400)
• Classified as Community-Recreation airport
• No fixed base operator
• Single asphalt paved two-way runway – 3,500 feet in length, 50 feet in width
• 10 tie-downs
• No fueling facilities

Trinity Center Airport

• Located in the community of Trinity Center (population 400)
• Classified as Community-Recreation airport; VFR rated
• No fixed base operator
• Single asphalt paved two-way runway – 3,200 feet in length, 60 feet in width
• 50 tie-downs
• No fueling facilities
• General Aviation facility that serves Aircraft Design Group 1
• Approximately 17,500 operations annually

Weaverville Airport (Lonnie Pool)

• Located in the community of Weaverville (population 3,500)
• Classified as Community-Recreation airport
• No fixed base operator
• Single asphalt paved runway – 3,380 feet in length, 50 feet in width
• 29 tie-downs and nine hangers
• There are currently 15 based aircraft at the airport.
• No fueling facilities
• General Aviation facility that serves Aircraft Design Group 1
• Annual operations, approximately 14,000
• Does not meet the FAA runway gradient requirement of +/- 2.0%
• Restricted nighttime operations
• Restricted aircraft operations due to airspace obstruction at north end of runway
• Future expansion limited by incompatible land uses and obstructions

The action to close the existing Weaverville Airport and relocate it to another site in the Weaverville Community requires federal approvals by the FAA in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines for:

• Unconditional approval of the new Airport Layout Plan
• Federal funding of the near-term development of the Weaverville Airport Master Plan
• Compliance with federal environmental laws and executive orders
• Federal land conveyance (The relocation of the Weaverville Airport requires that Trinity County have satisfactory title to all airport property needed for airport purposes and to meet all safety area requirements to remain in compliance with federal airport agreements).

In addition to federal actions under NEPA and subject to FAA approval, Trinity County is required to prepare an environmental document, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Trinity County, as the lead agency under CEQA, must evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed project and:

• Approve General Plan amendments
• Adopt the revised WAMP, adopt intermediate and long-term development objectives
• Approve rezoning
• Approve mitigation measures to comply with local, state and federal environmental laws, agreements and ordinances
• Adopt Mitigation and Monitoring Programs to insure good faith efforts to implement mitigation measures
• Approve statements of overriding consideration for environmental impacts that can not be mitigated to a less than significant level
• Approve authority to construct

Trinity County’s Weaverville Airport Master Plan for the existing airport concludes that, due to hazards and constraints, the airport will enjoy only limited improvements in facilities and capacity. The only solution available to remedy this situation is either to close the existing airport altogether and deprive the community of Weaverville and Trinity County of an airport or relocate the airport to a less-constrained site.

Closure of the existing airport, without replacement of a new airport, may result in existing aircraft and patrons to access their needs at either the Hayfork or Trinity Center Airports. It is more likely that current airport users would relocate their operations to either Benton Field or the Redding Municipal Airport both located approximately 50 miles east of Weaverville in Shasta County. If current airport users relocate to airports outside of Trinity County, the county would loose the economic base associated with a general aviation airport and tax base in the form of aircraft and hanger lease possessory interest.

Medical airlift and emergency services using fixed wing aircraft to the county seat would be lost.

The existing Weaverville Airport replaced the community’s landing field originally located near the current golf course and has served the community continuously since 1956. The airport serves the central portion of Trinity County. Located in the Trinity County seat of Weaverville, the airport is used by business, recreational and medical and emergency aircraft.

However, due to facility constraints, aircraft access is limited to daylight hours, and aircraft operational procedures are constrained by the airport’s excessive gradient and one-way configuration. Aircraft operations are prohibited from landing on runway 18 (northern approach) and from taking off on runway 36 (northern departure) in accordance with Part 77 Civil Airport Surface Obstruction.

The airport is also in violation FAA Order 5200.5, FAA Guidance--Concerning Sanitary Landfills On or Near Airports. These guidelines prohibit piston type aircraft operations within 4,921 feet of a landfill. This protects aircraft from striking birds that are attracted to sanitary landfills. However, a sanitary landfill is located immediately west of the Weaverville Airport runway on airport property.

The airport also lacks a fence system that would prevent deer and other large mammals from entering aircraft operation areas.

Recognizing current airport limitation and the desire to provide enhancements to the aviation system, Trinity County has identified and analyzed alternative site locations, prepared recommendations, performed environmental reviews and developed a master plan for relocation to an alternative site. The potential environmental consequences of the proposed action, and alternatives to the proposed action, are evaluated in this EA. The environmental reviews for this project are conducted in compliance with FAA Order 5050.5A Airport Environmental Handbook and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Resources

Weaverville Airport Environmental Impact Report, Section 1