AIRPORT EXPANSION FOUGHT AT MAMMOTH.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News MAMMOTH LAKES - Not everyone is happy about the changes at this Eastern Sierra ski town, and the lighting rod for this discontent is the proposed improvements at Yosemite Mammoth Airport. Environmental groups and California's Attorney General, Bill Lockyer William Westwood "Bill" Lockyer (born May 8, 1941) is the current State Treasurer of California. Prior to this, he served as California's Attorney General and head of the Department of Justice for the U.S. state of California. , have filed lawsuits challenging the Federal Aviation Administration's finding that there will be no significant environmental impacts from widening and repaving the runway at Mammoth to accommodate scheduled jet air service. The suit by the Sierra Club Sierra Club, national organization in the United States dedicated to the preservation and expansion of the world's parks, wildlife, and wilderness areas. Founded (1892) in California by a group led by the Scottish-American conservationist John Muir, the Sierra Club , California Trout California Trout is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) conservation group dedicated to “protecting and restoring wild trout and steelhead waters throughout California”. and others claim the project could have adverse effects on endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. such as Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) is a subspecies of Bighorn Sheep. The assignment of Bighorn Sheep populations to this subspecies is currently controversial. and negatively impact the ``visual and aesthetic character of what is now a largely undeveloped region, renowned for its magnificent natural resources.'' The Attorney General's complaint said the town of Mammoth Lakes ``seeks to transform a small, non-commercial airport in the heart of the Eastern Sierra to one that can accommodate jets up to the size of Boeing 757-200s, and hundreds of thousands of new, year-round visitors.'' ``With this project, Mammoth will be subjected to urban sprawl in a pristine scenic area close to wilderness and threatened wildlife,'' Owen Maloy, a local resident and Sierra Club member, said. The town received the airport grant agreement from the FAA for the first-year allocation of $19.8 million after it recently passed through the closing session of Congress. The grants from the FAA will total $28.6 million for the Mammoth Yosemite Airport Mammoth Yosemite Airport (IATA: MMH, ICAO: KMMH) is a public airport located six miles (9.7 km) east of Mammoth Lakes, serving Mono County, California, USA. The airport has one runway and is mostly used for general aviation. Improvement Project, which will widen the runway and taxiways and build a new passenger facility. The town's council approved contracts for the airport terminal design and engineering services in September. Pam Murphy, the senior vice president of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area The Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is a large ski resort located in eastern California on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the Inyo National Forest. The ski area, commonly called simply Mammoth , said the airport improvements are needed to attract weekday visitors to facilities that sit empty on weekdays. She took exception to the suits' claims that the airport is ``private'', saying it has been an FAA-certified commercial airport for more 30 years. Murphy pointed out Mammoth's airport has had scheduled air service in the past from United Express and TWA TWA Time-weighted average, see there . ``We greatly desire air service to stabilize Mammoth's economy,'' Murphy said. ``If we stay as a weekend and holiday facility, we will build strip malls strip mall n. A shopping complex containing a row of various stores, businesses, and restaurants that usually open onto a common parking lot. Noun 1. .'' She pointed out the town of Mammoth Lakes voted to acquire the airport 11 years ago, with the goal of improving air service. She added there's not much private land left, and what's being done is redevelopment, with no room for ``sprawl.'' ``It's a two-way street,'' said Murphy, who added local residents would like the convenience of being able to travel from Mammoth with an airline. Trent Orr, an attorney for the environmental groups, said he hopes the case will be heard before construction is started next spring. He said the plaintiffs might ask for an injunction to halt the airport improvements if the issues are not resolved. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) no caption (plane) |
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