CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

An Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates the effects of a proposed Federal action
on the surrounding environment and is prepared in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Order
1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, and FAA Order 5050.4B,
Airport Environmental Handbook, describe Federal airport and aviation actions that
trigger the requirement for EAs and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs). Both
FAA Orders also provide detailed guidance on the preparation of airport and aviation
environmental studies.

This EA identifies the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed
development action explained below, demonstrates how identified impacts can be
eliminated or mitigated, and provides the context for public involvement and comment.
This EA assesses the impact categories required by FAA Orders 1050.1E and 5050.4B
in relationship to the proposed project.

1.1 Proposed Action

SkyWest has provided service from the early 1980s to present at the Yellowstone
Airport (WYS) in West Yellowstone, Montana, with turboprop aircraft. As part of a 2-
year solicitation for proposal for Essential Air Service, SkyWest proposed servicing
WYS in 2012 with a Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, with consideration to provide jet service
in future years with a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200) (50-passenger
turbojet aircraft), should turbojet service be approved. SkyWests EAS proposal letter is
provided in Appendix I. SkyWest again served WYS with the EMB 120 in 2013 and is
continuing with this service in 2014. It is proposed to initiate jet service with the 2015
commercial season (June 1, 2015), provided turbojet serviced is approved. In order to
facilitate such a change in aircraft, a request to the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) to amend the Airlines Operations Specifications is required. The modification of
the Airlines Operations Specification is to substitute the current service to/from Salt
Lake City (SLC) from utilization of Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft to a
Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200). This is the Proposed Action at WYS.
There is no proposed increase in the number of flights per day, the timing of flight
arrivals and departures during the day, nor flight paths between the two aircraft. The
proposed change is for the type of aircraft, from the present EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop
to the proposed Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet 200.

The existing EMB 120 is a Category B-II aircraft, while the CRJ200 is a Category C-II
aircraft. WYS is certificated under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 139 as a C-
III airport. Approach Category B aircraft are those with approach speeds of 91 knots or
more, but less than 121 knots, and C aircraft are those with approach speeds of 121
knots or more, but less than 141 knots. Airplane Design Group (ADG) ADG II refers to
tail heights of 20 < 30 and wingspan of 49 < 79and ADG III refers to tail heights of 30
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< 45 and wingspan of 79 < 118. Given that the airport meets design criteria for
Approach Category C and Airplane Design Group III aircraft, there are no physical
improvements that would be necessary at the airport in order to accommodate the
proposed change in aircraft type. Therefore, the Proposed Action is limited to the
amendment of the Airlines Operations Specification.

This EA, completed under the direction of the Montana Department of Transportation
Aeronautics Division (Airport Sponsor), to be reviewed and potentially approved by the
Federal Aviation Administration, identifies the potential environmental impacts
associated with the Proposed Action for the Yellowstone Airport. Pending approval,
turbojet service is intended to be scheduled as early as the 2015 season (beginning
June 1, 2015) for the Airport. Alternatives to turbojet service are discussed in detail in
Chapter 3 Alternatives Considered of this document.

1.2 Background and Existing Facilities

West Yellowstone, Montana has a very small resident population with approximately
4,000 people residing within a 45 minute drive. Area resident population increases
significantly in the summer with the annual influx of second home owners. West
Yellowstone provides lodging, tours and shopping for visitors to Yellowstone National
Park and offers a base for a variety of recreational activities in the region.

The Yellowstone Airport, serving the Town of West Yellowstone, Gallatin County, and
Yellowstone National Park has existed since the early 1930s and is used for business,
governmental, recreational, emergency medical flights, and personal use. The airport is
also home to the West Yellowstone Interagency Fire Center Smokejumper / Air Tanker
Base. The Airport is located in southwest Montana, approximately 1 mile north of the
Town of West Yellowstone, Montana (Figure 1-1). The Airport lies in portions of
Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, 29, and 29, Township 13 South, Range 5 East, P.M.M., Gallatin
County, State of Montana. Access to the airport is provided via U.S. Highway 191. The
Airport is surrounded by the Gallatin National Forest, with the border of Yellowstone
National Park approximately 0.2 miles to the east at the closest point to airport property.
West Yellowstone is located approximately 90 miles south of Bozeman, Montana, 109
miles northeast of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and 126 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming. The
Town of West Yellowstone sewer lagoons are located at the extreme south end of the
Airport, as is U.S. Highway 20 to Targhee Pass. The Airports elevation is 6,649 feet
Mean Sea Level (MSL) with the mean maximum temperature of the warmest month of
79F. The Airport has a total area of approximately 735.9 acres, all of which are owned
in fee by Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division. There are 8.14
acres that are under special use permits from the United States Forest Service.

The Yellowstone Airport was dedicated at its current location on June 12th, 1965. In the
1960s and 1970s, Western Airlines served the airport on a seasonal basis with
Lockheed L-188 Electra propjets with the airline then replacing this turboprop service
with Boeing 737-200 jet flights direct to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and southern

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 Figure 1-1: Location Map

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California. Western operated at WYS with jet service into the early 1980s before
SkyWest became a Western Express Carrier and entered with Metro lines (twin prop).
The original Frontier Airlines served the airport as well with direct Boeing 737-200
jetliner service to Denver which was operated on a seasonal basis. SkyWest Airlines,
operating as the Delta Connection with the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, has been
operating out of the Yellowstone Airport since the mid 1980s.

Commercial air traffic operates at WYS from June 1st through September 30th with a
required minimum of 14 round trips per week under the current EAS contract. For the
2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons, SkyWest has operated two round trips daily on
weekdays with three on weekends for a total of 16 round trips per week. Arrival and
departure times all occur during daylight hours with arrival times of 11:29 a.m.
(weekends only), 12:43 p.m., and 4:43 p.m. The last remaining flight departs at a
scheduled time of 5:45 p.m. daily. The Airport has also served other larger jets to
include C5As, C-141s, and Air Force One (Boeing 747-200B) as recently as 2009.
Boeing F/A-18 Hornets have utilized the airport for air show support in the region, and a
C-17 Globemaster has also been scheduled into the airport. The Airport has also
hosted numerous jet and turboprop aircraft of various sizes in support of firefighting
operations and private use.

Current Airport airside facilities include one grooved asphalt runway as follows: RW
01/19 at 8,399 x 150, with a weight bearing capacity of 30,000 pounds for single wheel
gear configuration, 150,000 pounds dual wheel, and 280,000 pounds dual tandem
wheel. Additional facilities include four connecting taxiways between Runway 01/19
and the full length, 75 wide, parallel taxiway. A main apron area of approximately 250
x 2,100 is also shared by commercial and general aviation traffic. Runway 01/19 has
high intensity runway lights (HIRL) with a 4-Box Precision Approach Path Indicator
(PAPI), a 1,400 foot medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment
indicator lights (MALSR), and Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Runway 01 and a 4-
box Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) and Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs)
for Runway 19. There is also a localizer, non-directional beacon (NDB), Automated
Weather Observation System (AWOS III), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance
Broadcast (ADS-B) system. There are no hangars on the airport, or based aircraft
reported, largely due that this is a seasonal airport with no winter snow removal
maintenance conducted. Existing structures consist of the Fixed Based Operators
(FBO) building, Airports Crash Rescue (SRE) building, and the main terminal building.
The West Yellowstone Interagency Fire Center Smokejumper / Air Tanker Base
facilities are located off airport property, but inside the existing animal control fence that
surrounds the airport. The Base airside facilities access the parallel taxiway via two
taxilanes.

Runway 01 is a precision instrument (ILS) runway with a glide slope, with RW 19 being
a non-precision runway. The FAA defines a precision instrument runway as one having
an existing instrument approach procedure utilizing an ILS, or a Precision Approach
Radar (PAR). A non-precision instrument runway is defined as one having an existing
approach procedure utilizing air navigation facilities with only horizontal guidance, or

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area type navigation equipment, for which a straight-in instrument approach procedure
has been approved or planned. There are currently four published instrument approach
procedures to Runway 01/19. The approach for Runway 19 is a Radio Navigation
(RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) approach with landing minimums as low as a
600 foot ceiling and 2-mile visibility. There are three approach procedures to Runway
01; 1) Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) RW 01, 2) RNAV (GPS), and 3) ILS or Localizer
(LOC) RW 01. Runway 01 has landing minimums as low as 200 foot ceiling and -mile
visibility.

The FAAs Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for 2010 to present, reflects a total of 10,590
operations, with the following breakdown: 516 air taxi (SkyWest), 7500 itinerant general
aviation, 74 military, and 2,500 local general aviation. Enplanements were noted as
4,977 per the TAF for 2011, a growth of close to 30% over the last five years.

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