Angoon Airport Master Plan
Angoon, Alaska is
a community located in Southeast Alaska about 60
miles southwest of Juneau
and 50 miles northeast of Sitka (Figure 1
). It is
located on Admiralty Island, on a peninsula of
land bordered by Chatham Strait to the west and
Kootznahoo Inlet to the east. Angoon is
primarily a Native Alaskan Tlingit community and
the only permanent settlement on Admiralty
Island in Southeast Alaska. Admiralty Island is
also home to Admiralty Island National
Monument and its Kootznoowoo Wilderness, parts of
the Tongass National Forest.
Although it is situated
in the middle of northern Southeast Alaska, Angoon
is quite remote – it is
only accessible by air and water. It receives its
air service at a small seaplane terminal and is
visited by Alaska Marine Highway System ferries
that land at a state owned terminal south of
town. The difficulties inherent in this limited
transportation system are detailed herein. In order
to address the transportation shortfalls faced by
the people of Angoon – the largest community
in
the region without a landing strip – a planning
effort was begun in 2001 as a first step in
developing an airport. This plan includes a review
of past work that has been completed as part
of the planning process for the airport. It describes
the analysis of alternatives which culminated
in selection of the proposed airport site, surface
access, apron layout, and depicts all of these on
an airport layout plan. In addition to this document,
an Angoon
Airport Master Plan Background
Report is available with an environmental analysis
of the access and apron alternatives and
Technical Appendices on biological resources; prehistoric,
historic and archaeological resources; and wetlands.
The proposed airport
site is on the northeast side of Favorite Bay partially
within the City of
Angoon and within the Admiralty Island National
Monument; proposed access is a 4.2 mile road
beginning at the end of the current road system
and paralleling the Favorite Bay shoreline
approximately 100-600 feet inland from the shore
until the road swings inland to access the
apron (Figure 2).
It is reasonable to expect that NEPA environmental documentation and detailed airport design drawings will be prepared in 2007-2008; that site and right-of-way acquisition will take place in 2009-2009; and that airport construction will begin in 2010.
