Collaboration between aviation groups and the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough, located north of Anchorage, Alaska, has preserved floatplane access to Big Lake Airport, which offers maintenance and float-change services. In May 2012, word that the borough had instituted a $1 million liability coverage requirement for operators utilizing a nearby borough-owned floatplane launch to access the airport sparked concern—and action—by AOPA Airport Support Network volunteers, the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the Mat-Su Aviation Advisory Board. They won the support of local officials, and on Nov. 5 Borough Manager John Moosey issued a memorandum announcing the insurance requirement “has been deemed unnecessary.”
The reversal will preserve access to an important resource, and marks the latest aviation-friendly action by the borough and its aviation advisory board, which has a long history of collaboration with AOPA, community groups, and Alaska aviators on issues including safety, taxes, and access to vital facilities.
