What is the Purpose of the Public Meeting?

The purpose of this meeting is to present the analysis, findings, and recommendations from Phase I of the EIS for the siting and construction of a replacement airport for the Friedman Memorial Airport (FMA) and to collect comments before moving into Phase II of the EIS. Phase I consisted of two primary components: (a) review and determination of alternatives, development of the Purpose and Need, and development of the unconstrained forecast; and (b) agency and public scoping activities.

Phase II of the EIS will include: (a) detailed evaluation of the reasonable alternatives carried forward from Phase I and (b) determination and disclosure of the potential impacts and environmental consequences. Phase II will be brought to a close with the completion of the Public Hearing on the Draft EIS.

The Scope of Work to be performed by the consulting team and information about the study process will be available throughout the study on the FAA project website listed at the end of this handout. Members of the consulting team are available at the public meetings to answer questions and provide information about the information offered in this handout and in the presentation.

The EIS Process

The primary purpose of an EIS is to ensure that Federal government programs and actions meet the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) goals and policies. This EIS is conducted by the FAA as the Federal lead agency responsible for ensuring that airport development projects, such as those proposed by the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority (FMAA), are in compliance with environmental regulations. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a cooperating agency due to one of the alternative sites being located on BLM land. The potential environmental impacts of the proposed action are assessed in accordance with NEPA. The NEPA process encompasses a body of Federal laws that are intended to protect the nation's environment. In addition to the public, input on the proposed action is also sought from local, state, and Federal agencies.

The following illustration graphically shows the process for the FMA EIS.

Next Steps

The EIS is a Federal process that seeks to disclose any environmental effects of proposed Federal actions. This process is also used to obtain all necessary environmental permits required by Federal and state agencies prior to construction.

The FAA issued its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register on November 1, 2007. It is anticipated that it will take approximately three years to complete the full study process.

• Phase I – Scoping and Alternative Site Review • August 5, 2008 – Presentation to the FMAA• August 6, 2008 – Two Public Meetings

presenting the Purpose and Need, Forecast, and Alternatives Analysis

• Phase II – Preparation of the Draft EIS• Kick-off field work – Summer/Fall 2008• Draft EIS published for public review – late 2009

How can I comment on the EIS?

The public will be asked to provide comments to the FAA on the EIS for their consideration. Public comments are important to assist the FAA in making decisions about the proposed siting and construction of a replacement airport for FMA. Written comments may be submitted on the comment forms that can be found in the workshop area.

The FAA welcomes written comments on the information presented in the Draft Alternatives/Purpose and Need Working Paper, which will be available on the project website August 8, 2008. You may also submit comments until the close of business on September 8, 2008 to:

Ms. Cayla MorganProject ManagerFederal Aviation AdministrationNorthwest Mountain RegionSeattle Airport District Office1601 Lind Avenue, S.W., Suite 250Renton, WA 98057-3356Email: Cayla.Morgan@faa.govWebsite: www.airportsites.net/SUN-EIS

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) August 6, 2008

ProjectInitiation

FAASign/Issue

Final Recordof Decision

FAA Final EIS

Availability

PrepareFinal EIS

Respond to Agency/Public

Comments

30 DAYREVIEW

PreparePlan of Study

forPhases III and

IV

Agency/PublicCirculation

CONDUCTPUBLIC

HEARING

CONDUCTPUBLIC

HEARING

Notice of Availability of DEIS &

Public Hearing

Prepare Draft EIS

Detailed Environmental

Analysis

PreparePlan of Study for

Phase II

Develop Preliminary Range of

Alternatives

Identify Purpose & NeedBaseline

Data Collection

45-60 DAY REVIEW

Phase IPhase I

Phase IIPhase II

Phase IIIPhase III

Meet withStakeholders

Phase IVPhase IV

Conduct Scoping

We Are Here

Negotiate Scope with

FAA/Sponsor

PreparePlan of Study

for Phase I

SelectConsultant

Project Identification

Tribal ConsultationPublish

Notice ofIntent

Purpose and Need

The purpose and need for a replacement for FMA is to: • Provide an Airport that conforms to Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA) airport design standards, criteria, and orders.

• Ensure the reliability of an airport serving the Wood River Region by providing approach capability that will allow operations during

periods of reduced visibility. At a minimum, provide an approach capability providing for

operations down to a ceiling of 200 feet above airport elevation and one-half mile visibility.

• Ensure the ability of the Airport to accommodate growth in operational demand

and in demand for new and expanded facilities.

Alternatives Recommended To Be Carried Forward Into the EIS Process

The 2006 Site Selection and Feasibility Study was used as a starting point to identify potential airport sites to analyze in the EIS. Two additional sites, not in the previous analysis which were felt to be viable, were also identified. Once this full complement of sites was identified, a process was developed to assess the attributes and constraints of each site. A three tier process was developed. A total of 14 evaluation criteria were developed for use in assessing the sites. Using the three tier evaluation process, the analysis has identified those sites which fully meet the criteria established and constraints associated with each alternative site. Site 1 (existing airport site) was not evaluated in the three tier process because it was determined it could not meet the established facility requirements. However, Site 1, including routine maintenance, will be carried forward in the EIS as the No Action alternative, as required by NEPA.

The Tier One evaluation eliminated eight sites (Sites 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, and 16) not able to meet the criteria referred to as Fatal Flaw criteria; Category I Approach\Missed Approach capability for the primary runway, and a 60-minute drive time from Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue, and Carey. The Tier Two evaluation process addressed a broader set of criteria, utilizing a numerical ranking system to compare the remaining nine sites. The criteria evaluated in the second tier included:

– Safety Considerations– Topography of the Site– Landside Expansion Capability– Airside Expansion Capability– Site Development Factors

– Conformity with Local, State, and Federal Land Use Regulatory Requirements– Sponsorship– Property Ownership Considerations– Proximity to Demand– Accessibility to Regional Roadways

The remaining nine sites were ranked and a shortlist of three sites (4, 10A, and 12) was identified for the Tier Three and final evaluation which addressed the ability/flexibility of the sites to accommodate enhanced or multiple approaches. All of the short-listed sites (4, 10A, and 12) survived the evaluation process and were recommended to be carried forward for further evaluation in the EIS.

Summary of Aviation Activity Forecasts

The forecast effort included the following: Analyzing socioeconomic trends Analyzing the historical aviation activity at Friedman Memorial Airport

(FMA) Stakeholder interviews with FMA departing passengers, Twin Falls

Airport departing passengers, Sun Valley Express Passengers using BOI to travel to and from the Wood River Region, commercial passenger airlines, SUN general aviation pilots, and Wood River Region businesses

Benchmarking analysis of eleven ski resorts in the U.S (including Sun Valley)

Aircraft Operations Forecast Results

Passenger Forecast Results

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

20

12

20

14

20

16

20

18

20

20

20

22

Air

cra

ft O

pera

tion

s

Commercial Passengers Cargo General Aviation Military

-

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

20

12

20

14

20

16

20

18

20

20

20

22

20

24

20

26

20

28

20

30

Year

En

pla

ned P

ass

en

gers

(0

00

)

History

Air Service ApproachRegional Approach

Constrained Forecast