Emerging increases in the Trinity County recreation and tourist industries include dependence on aviation facilities and their related services. Commercial, industrial and residential land development is concentrated in the vicinity of the unincorporated communities of Weaverville, Hayfork, Lewiston, Hyampom, Junction City, Douglas City and Trinity Center. Land development in the vicinity of Weaverville is concentrated along two state highways, SR 299 and SR 3. The existing Weaverville Airport is located in the northern portion of Weaverville adjacent to SR 3.

There are currently 15 based aircraft at the airport. There are no on-site fueling facilities. There is no commercial airline passenger service to any of the Trinity County airports.

Trinity County has determined that needed improvements to meet the goals and objectives of the Weaverville Airport Master Plan, at the Weaverville Airport should not be pursued, as the site does not comply with FAA standards for obstruction clearance, runway gradient, or runway/taxiway separation for design aircraft. The airport is seriously constrained by topography and surrounding land use.

Terrain to the north and east penetrates the horizontal and conical surfaces of the runway. The community of Weaverville is located south of the airport; the Weaverville landfill is to the west; a residential area is located north of the airport, and a county-operated juvenile hall has been constructed near the north end of the airport. Land use conflicts in the vicinity of the Weaverville Airport includes tree encroachment into controlled air space.

Current flight operations are approximately 14,000 annually, approximately 38 percent of all Trinity County aircraft operations. The airport is designed for 25,000 annual operations. Based on its current configuration, it is estimated that the airport will have approximately 22,000 operations annually in the year 2020. However, due to topographic restrictions, limited aircraft parking, lack of fueling facilities, operational restrictions, and conflicting land use, expansion and improvements to serve additional aviation-related and aviation-compatible uses are not feasible at the airport. Phased development for a new airport is required to meet forecast aviation demand for the county system of airports.

Approval of the WAMP would accommodate the inclusion of the Weaverville Airport in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Communities that do not receive commercial service may be included in the NPIAS as sites of general aviation airports if they account for enough activity, usually 10 locally owned aircraft, and are at least 20 miles from the nearest NPIAS airport. Although the activity criteria could be relaxed for remote locations, Weaverville Airport would meet the criteria and is more than 20 miles from the nearest NPIAS airport. Additionally, as the county seat, Weaverville would be the preferred location of an NPIAS airport.

Airport improvements at the existing Weaverville Airport necessary to meet anticipated future aviation demands cannot be made. The Aviation Element of the Trinity County Regional Transportation Plan (1996) states that the Weaverville Airport does not meet federal Design Standards and improvements are necessary to prevent classification as a restricted facility that could result in the loss of state and federal funds for maintenance and improvements. The relocation and upgrade of the Weaverville Airport is expected to increase annually operations projected for the year 2020 from 22,000 to 34,000. An upgraded and relocated airport will meet the goals and objectives of the Weaverville Airport Master Plan, and the Trinity County Regional Transportation Plan. Both adopted plans specify the replacement of the existing Weaverville Airport and the construction of a new airport within the vicinity of the community of Weaverville to meet the future aviation needs of Trinity County.

Resources

Weaverville Airport Environmental Impact Report, Section 2