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Sale of Birchwood Airport to Eklutna Native Association

skukum12

MEMBER
The Last Frontier
This must be stopped. Anybody who has an interest in Birchwood Airport whether you own a hangar, operate from there or simply love the airport, there is a meeting Saturday, November 4th at 4pm.

Location: Birchwood, not sure if in the shack or the CAP building as usual.
 
As I understand things, ALL state airports are going to be up for grabs. The current administration is doing it's best to destroy Alaska. All keep eyes and ears open to this please.
 
As I understand things, ALL state airports are going to be up for grabs. The current administration is doing it's best to destroy Alaska. All keep eyes and ears open to this please.

Heard the same thing but dismissed it as a crazy rumor. I thought the state considered our airports to be critical infrastructure.


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I just had a conversation with a DOT Airports person who offered that Eklutna has approached DOT about the airport and DOT referred them to the FAA since federal airport funding and regulations are involved. Re: the airport meeting, has anyone invited Eklutna representatives to discuss what's going on? I'd be interested in hearing their view. In the long game? Having a management stake in an airport that's surrounded by their land may be an excellent investment opportunity. Eklutna has been floating development plans surrounding the airport for 10 years. For local pilots and leaseholders at the airport? What's the potential downside? Is a private concern with eyes on surrounding development a worse landlord than a broke State government that doesn't want to be in the airport business? It's way too soon for me to form an opinion. I want to hear all sides of the story before that happens.
 
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You all might want to release some of that starch and elastic out of your undies, seems folks are headed out for bear short on facts.

There was some preliminary discussion I am told between the State and Eklutna about Eklutna having a MANAGEMENT agreement for the Birchwood Airport. Part of the driver is as stated above, Eklutna has lots of land surrounding the airport, and that any development in concert with the airport could be good for both.

No where have I heard airports are all up for grabs.

Other airports in the state are run by entities not the state, so open your minds to ideas to make airports a better place, and maybe we can keep them all going in the financial times coming.

Now, want to really get mad? Ask about the new State Aircraft Registration Fee they are working on.
 
You all might want to release some of that starch and elastic out of your undies, seems folks are headed out for bear short on facts.

There was some preliminary discussion I am told between the State and Eklutna about Eklutna having a MANAGEMENT agreement for the Birchwood Airport. Part of the driver is as stated above, Eklutna has lots of land surrounding the airport, and that any development in concert with the airport could be good for both.

No where have I heard airports are all up for grabs.

Other airports in the state are run by entities not the state, so open your minds to ideas to make airports a better place, and maybe we can keep them all going in the financial times coming.

Now, want to really get mad? Ask about the new State Aircraft Registration Fee they are working on.

With Lake Hood and Merrill Field being landlocked within the city Birchwood represents the best opportunity in the area for GA airport expansion to accommodate GA growth. Who's gonna be better to drive that? Eklutna or SOA DOT, given that Eklutna has skin in the game in that area and motivation for growth?

I was told by DOT that the State owns 242 airports and that Birchwood is the only one they've been approached about.
 
This could develop into some very positive changes for the airport. More information on the meeting. This is a good time for questions/opportunities for the future to be brought up. Note time limit on comments. Hopefully attachment works
DENNY
 

Attachments

  • Birchwoord Association meeting agenda 110417 3.pdf
    353 KB · Views: 337
This could develop into some very positive changes for the airport. More information on the meeting. This is a good time for questions/opportunities for the future to be brought up. Note time limit on comments. Hopefully attachment works
DENNY

the Peters creek was a nice green belt, last hidden/unknown PUBLIC hunting/park/fishing area in area... now it's marked no trespass no fishing signs....

??????
 
the Peters creek was a nice green belt, last hidden/unknown PUBLIC hunting/park/fishing area in area... now it's marked no trespass no fishing signs....

??????

and FYI, there's quite the old ancient fishing village/camp out towards the mouth of peters creek... many fish pits, and dugout house locations(Barabras) very cool to explore the area...

just follow the trail that is across stoltze bridge...

once you find the first pits, look over the bank to the LEFT for the big houses/pits.... amazing...

unfortunately going to be dug up and built over... for houses..
 
and FYI, there's quite the old ancient fishing village/camp out towards the mouth of peters creek... many fish pits, and dugout house locations(Barabras) very cool to explore the area...

just follow the trail that is across stoltze bridge...

once you find the first pits, look over the bank to the LEFT for the big houses/pits.... amazing...

unfortunately going to be dug up and built over... for houses..

That sounds cool. There are archeological protections in place for much of that type of stuff anymore. As far as green space and hunting areas, as much as I like hunting and fishing, I also must respect a private land owner's right to use their land.

Why do people always think it is their right to restrict other's from developing private property? Just because the neighbors have not built a house yet, does not mean you get to decide that their lot next to your house shall remain vacant.

It is sad, but protect right of property owners... otherwise your property will be next to become restricted.
 
I went to the meeting.
Dick Lochner gave a short talk on the history of Birchwood Airport that was very interesting and informative. The one thing to note from his talk is the constant is change. I will cover as much as I can but there are still a lot of questions that the Birchwood Airport Association is trying to get a clear answer on. Below are some facts as best we know them.

1. This is not a land sale. It is transfer of Sponsorship of the airport management from AK DOT. This has been done at several airports Palmer, Wasilla, and Kenai to name a few.
2. The Airport will stay an airport. Lots of federal grant money will keep it that way. The FAA will still be top dog no matter who the sponsor of the Airport is.
3. Eklutna Native Corporation is looking at the feasibility of becoming the sponsor but still gathering data
4. The city of Anchorage has been approached in the past to be the sponsor and turned it down.
5. One sponsorship of an Airport is granted to an organization, there is no time limit, they will always be the sponsor as long as they comply with FAA rules.
6. AOPA and Alaska Airman's Association have been contacted and are aware of the issue.
7. Association officers have met with both DOT and Eklutna management.


Several good questions where raised last night.
1. Why does DOT not want to be sponsor of Birchwood Airport? Several sources have stated we are one of the few airports in the state that carry our own or make money for the state.
2. Efforts to get hard money numbers (grants, lot lease, etc) have not been very productive so far. Working on that.
3. What happens when towns sponsor airports. (in all cases listed above lease rates increased quickly).
4. This is by no means a done deal. Talking stages only.
5. If DOT is set on some other entity sponsoring Birchwood would the city of Anchorage be a good choice?
6. Several members stated they would contact their state representatives on this matter. At this time the Association officers will continue to sort this out before further action on the part of the association is taken.
6. Association officers are going to meetings, working hard to get the FACTS!! They will pass them along through E-mail. We will have another meeting when more solid information is gotten or membership guidance on action is needed. The Association has a webpage http://cer.org/m/listing/view/thefarrells3 Join.

This is the basic info, hope I got it right I will have Tim look at it and correct any mistakes.
DENNY
 
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