Regional Affairs

Members urged to speak up to protect Mat-Su airports

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Department and DOWL Engineering are working to protect airports in Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which boasts the highest concentration of public- and private-use airports in the country. Because the area is the fastest-growing region of the state, the potential for problems between airports and incompatible development is a growing concern. AOPA is participating in a regional planning effort to address these issues. AOPA Alaska Regional Representative Tom George and Spencer Yearns, the Airport Support Network volunteer for Palmer Municipal, are members of the project's technical advisory committee. "It is important that our members speak up and let the planners know about needs for additional aviation facilities," George said. "We also need to look at how to protect the facilities already in the area." AOPA members are encouraged to participate in an online survey to tell the borough how it should best encourage growth while preserving aviation safety.

September 1, 2006