The
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is conducting an Environmental
Assessment to identify and mitigate any potential environmental impacts ahead
of proposed airport improvements.
What is an Environmental Assessment and why
is it being conducted now?
The
purpose of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is to determine whether a proposed
action, in this case proposed airport improvements, has the potential to
significantly affect the human and natural environment.
Bozeman
Yellowstone International Airport is evaluating several proposed improvements,
including runway extension and widening, taxi lane and apron construction,
water, sanitary sewer, road, drainage and fencing construction, and lighting
improvements.
To
accommodate these improvements, sections of Airport Road, Lagoon Road, Tubb
Road, and East Baseline Road will be removed, with new access being provided by
a new proposed roadway connecting Jetway Drive to the Frontage Road (S-205).
Some utilities, extensions, and navigational aids will also be relocated, and
the turf runway location will be reviewed.
The EA
will identify and assess the potential environmental impacts of implementing
the proposed improvements and reasonable alternatives.
Why are proposed
airport improvements needed?
The recent
2020 Master Plan reflects
passenger and aircraft activity at the Bozeman airport is growing. Increased aircraft
activity represents a need for additional space, aircraft facilities and
redundancy.
The
proposed improvements will allow Bozeman Yellowstone Airport to provide capabilities
to safely and efficiently accommodate existing and forecasted operations, runway
redundancy, provide an area to meet the demand for hangars in a safe and
efficient manner, and to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
requirements.
What is
the timeline for the EA and proposed improvements?
The EA
must be conducted before improvements can begin. The environmental assessment
process will take several months to complete. Once the EA is complete, the
community will have the opportunity to review the report and provide comments. It is proposed to complete the EA in early
2025 with public review, with the potential for the earliest of the proposed
improvements to begin construction in summer or fall of 2025.
