Port of Grays Harbor trying to close Bowerman field (KHQM)

Well its official, for what it is worth. Gary Nelson, the managing director of the Port of Grays Harbor came out in open session today and stated he was drafting a letter to the FAA requesting permission to close Bowerman field. He sites the high cost of maintenance and repairs to the long neglected facility and the wish to diversify the ports holdings. The port has neglected the maintenance needs to the port for years and now claim's it is too expensive to bring it back up. The Port also bemoans the fact that the property they purchased to the immediate east of the field has a restriction on structure height in the approach path. Indications have surfaced that the port wants to put in a container shipping complex in this property and is eying the airport to expand this venture.

Several attendees of this open meeting blasted the managing director and his staff for the neglect of the field. Several others stood up and were openly critical of him for considering the closure. The meeting held the 20th seemed to have been a smoke screen and in fact we packed more people in there than they expected but already had their mind made up. The more comment we can get about this intended closure the better we can combat this idiocy.

A link to their comment site with phone numbers and mailing address is:
http://www.portofgraysharbor.com/portIn ... oForm.html
Managing Director, Gary Nelson
Assistant director, Leonard Barns

Several thoughts come to mind;
1) Dosen't the Federal Gov't fund a good portion of the maintenance and improvement due to the use of the Military for the ILS?
2) With the exception of East Williamete (Willipaw Bay) and Astoria, it's the only fuel on the Coast. The next closest is Shelton.
3) I'm reasonably sure that due to the presence of the afore-mentioned ILS, there is a fair amount of FAA subsidising involved.
4) I would be surprised if the Army Corp of Engineers will allow any expansion of the current dredging operations that have been in effect for the last many years. There will be an EIS (Environmental I mpact Statement) that will last for many years to consider any expansion (Let alone any new development) of a deep water container facility.

The area that is immediately to the East of the field is a sewer treatment plant. The Outer Marker is just to the East of the aeration ponds if I remember right. Are they being relocated as well?
The only thing that I can think of with a container yard that would pose a height issue would be the cranes and that they are outside the Marker, should not be an issue.
Thank being said, it is waterfront and you know, they quit making it. I would love to read their proposal, er, plan of action it sounds like.

Bowerman field has some protections built in that the jokers running the port apparently haven't completely researched, of for some reason don't thing apply to them. The field started life with federal work grants in 1938 but before it was completed WWII broke out and the Navy took it over. In 1944 it was sold back to the county for $1.00 under the federal governments surplus land disposal program. With the sale came the stipulation that the property be used only for aviation, and it remain open for ever as an airport.

Bowerman is the only Jet Capable All Weather airport on the west coast of Washington state. And the only one with Jet-A. 100LL is available at Willipa, but he has limited supplies, and is truck delivered not card lock. Shelton and Olympia are the only other options.

The port let out news releases that would have the public believing the ILS was installed and maintained by them, when in fact it is wholly owned and operated by the FAA, as are the rest of the Nav aids. There are funds provided to the port through governmental sources on an annual basis, but we aren't sure how much. It may be as little as $10,000 per year. The trees in line with the GS have grown up over on a hill about 1.2 miles east and has caused the FAA to change DH from 212' to 727'. the port has claimed to be working on rectifying this for the last 4 years. not a very dedicated effort on their part. The Port has not made much of an effort to keep their paperwork in order or up to date. I noticed when checking the form 5010 they just updated the 5010 last month so they could claim they were in compliance, but the GADO told us they were not eligible for AIP grants. That may be updated now. No monies have been granted to the port for KHQM since 2002. To the best of my knowledge they haven't asked for any either.

One of our best friends is the bird sanctuary on the north boundary of the field. It makes it very hard for the port to market this to any messy industrial concern. Due to the contract restrictions the FAA, OFM, and DOD will have to sign off on any plan they have to alter the deed.

The USCG out of Astoria views this as critical to their SAR operations to the north because to the fueling facility. several local businesses also view this as either critical or very importiant to their business. And the airport was well established in it's current location when the port bought the property to the east with plans to develop it.

We have a long road I thing and we will be busy but I think we can prevail.

This sounds like a perfect case for the AOPA airport preservation section.

If you are not a member let me know and I will forward this thread to them.

TD

TomD wrote:This sounds like a perfect case for the AOPA airport preservation section.

If you are not a member let me know and I will forward this thread to them.

We have them on tap and keeping them informed. Their legal department is doing some research for us now. We'd like to get as many comments sent into the ports web site as possible.

The local paper so far has had only input from the port officials and mush of the data is either false or misleading. We (ASN Bowerman) have been approached by the city editor to do an interview and get an apposing view, so far we haven't been able to connect.
Recent articles from the local paper
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2 ... 01news.txt
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2 ... 03news.txt

Hot off the press...
~ AOPA Close to Home ~
FAA TO PORT AUTHORITY: KEEP BOWERMAN AIRPORT OPEN
The FAA recently denied a request by the Port of Grays Harbor to release Bowerman Airport in Hoquiam, Washington, from restrictions in the Surplus Property Act. A release ultimately would have allowed the port to close the airport. The Surplus Property Act requires that any airports transferred from the federal government to local entities remain open and operating in perpetuity. Such is the case with Bowerman Airport: It had been a military-use airport that was transferred to Grays Harbor County for civilian use. The port also has accepted Airport Improvement Program funding, which comes with obligations to keep the airport open. Working with the Airport Support Network volunteer for Bowerman, Jim Criel, AOPA had alerted the FAA of the port's intentions and asked that this attempt to close the airport be denied. The FAA not only turned down the port's request, but also warned the town that the agency would take "whatever action we deem appropriate to prevent closure of an obligated airport."

Congratulations! A strong message to the Port Authority; BACK OFF!

The port send a 40 page letter to the FAA attempting to justify the closure. The FAA worded their response rather strongly as not only No, but HELL NO!!.

We now fear the Port will try to use some association with Congressman Norm Dicks to try and get a congressional override on the FAA decision. That may have been why it took 40 pages to make the request fr release of the airport.

We're keeping an eye on things and trying to get a copy of the ports letter, we have a copy of the rejection letter. It took the FAA only 6 days to draft their 1½ page response. The managing director took longer than that to let the port commissioners know what the FAAs answer was, at the Port Commissioners meeting the staff responded No News to the closure though the letter was already in the offices of the port.


As I have indicated before, they are not dealing off the top of the deck. We have been trying to get budget and expenditures reports but have been stonewalled, or at the very least they are delaying the delivery.

We're going to keep their feet to the fire though.

The Port, being a government agency, is not only required to disclose but obligated at the request of their constituency, to provide a detailed accounting of their budget at least annually. It has been my experience though that they will demand a "reasonable time frame" due to the complex nature of same report. Implying of course, that you're too stupid to understand it. That's taught in bureaucrat 101.
You're response will be to say "OK" and walk over to the County Commisioners office and make an appointment with all of them. At the same time, you can thwart their backdooring with Norm Dicks by PMing me for the email & phone number of Norm's Executive Assistant who decides what Norm reviews. She's a friend of mine and a great lady. She's the only Liberal that's welcome in my house. She is capable of some amazing things.
As I recall, the Aberdeen paper is pretty good about keeping a lot of these goons on notice. That area is still a beautifully conservative place.
Kurt

It has been my experience though that they will demand a "reasonable time frame" due to the complex nature of same report. Implying of course, that you're too stupid to understand it. That's taught in bureaucrat 101

I have to get a hold of one of our committee members to see what she has actually requested and what she has received. As far as understanding it, she's a recently retired CPA. We may have to file a Freedom of Information Request if they keep dragging their feet on this.

We want a daily or by job accounting of the funds they claim to be spending, on what, when, and how much. So far all we have been getting is a Vague quarterly general expense. So we can't show if a job is being over charged or being not done but still billed, or other.

We have a county commissioner Al Carter and he is claiming to have some close ties with Norm Dicks and is a proponent of closure. Our ASN chair was going to ask for a copy of the letter sent to the FAA so we have some idea which direction they may be trying to travel with this.

As soon as I can get some direction on this I'll give you an PM and give you what I have.

Some of our airport group had a meeting with the city editor of our local paper about the airport situation. He got back to one of our members last night to inform us he just got the information that our port has been going out behind every ones back and are lobbying Norm Dicks and Patty Murray to get congress to override the FAA decision and close the airport. In an interview he had with Norm Dicks, Dicks said he will lobby for legislation to close Bowerman and upgrade a current facility or build a new one.

This has apparently been going on for some time, maybe even before they presented their letter to the FAA. Local editor is really miffed that he has been trying to talk to them and being told nothing going on. The word we're getting from port employees is the closure is a done deal and the paperwork is nearing the signature point with a Chinese shipping company to lease the land and make a shipping terminal

This freaking clown Nelson sounds like Mayor Daily of Chicago closing Meigs Field in the middle of the night with a team of bulldozers. They get comfortable in their position of power forget that they are a servent of the people, not their own agenda.

Leasing it to the Chinese? I bet Walmart is lobbying with Nelson to close the airport.

On the other hand, look at their website...looks like the Port Authority is proud if their airport... http://www.portofgraysharbor.com/airport/index.html

BabyGreatLakes wrote: .........our port has been going out behind every ones back and are lobbying Norm Dicks and Patty Murray to get congress to override the FAA decision and close the airport. In an interview he had with Norm Dicks, Dicks said he will lobby for legislation to close Bowerman and upgrade a current facility or build a new one.
This has apparently been going on for some time, maybe even before they presented their letter to the FAA. ...........

Despite usually leaning toward the opposing political party, I do feel that Norm Dicks generally does a pretty good job of looking out for his constituents. I'm pretty disappointed to hear about this. Guess it's time for a letter-writing campaign.

Eric

Nelson really hasn't thought this out very far. This will close the largest employer in the county and take millions of dollars out of the harbor to another location. We have a custom yacht building company, smallest thing the build is 53' up 164'. The employ a full time crew in excess of 700 craftsmen in two locations, one of which they lease from the port. If their clients can't fly in with their Canadairs, BBJ's, G-V's and Falcon 900's to choose the color of the drapes and change the pattern of the carpet in therir 50 million dollar boats. The ship yard will lose big bucks so they will go somewhere they can have easy access to their customers and keep teh money flowing. At least they are good business men.

We've known the Port official have been lying to everyone for a long time, just couldn't totally scope out their game plan. now it seems to be 0out in the open, So if any one has someone on the transportation board from their state, This is a good time to start writing letters to block this shenanigan.

That's right, a few years ago Westport Marine started a new division up in Port Angeles, where they just recently launched another new yacht. They're only building a certain length ship up here (a "mid-sized" model as I recall), but if it's too inconvenient for them to operate in Grays Harbor County they could move the whole show to PA. I'm sure Port Angeles & Clallam County would welcome them with open arms.
They operate a company KingAir out of KHQM, Dennis flies it into Jefferson County occasionally. Fairchild Airport i PA is longn enough at 6,300 feet for a 737.
Let's hope that everyone including politicians (yeah, right) comes to their senses & leaves Bowerman Field alone.
I'm emailing Dicks tonight.

Eric

I sent an internet letter to Cngressman Norm Dicks sunday expressing my views about the Bowerman Field situation. You can do this real easy, go to www.congress.org and click around to get to Dicks' webpage(s). I would have rather sent a direct email but couldn't find the address, I think they prefer it to come thru the webpage, probably easier to track (and/or ignore!). Also makes it harder to send the same email to several different legislators.
Anyway, I urge everyone else to take a minute to do the same, maybe we can nip this bullshit in the bud.

Eric

The full text of the story came out yesterday in the local paper. It appears Norm Dicks is not going to just roll over all that easily. The city editor did a very brief paraphrase of the interview. Norm Dicks is not going to jump on the abandon airport band wagon. He told the port they will have to come up with a viable and comprehensive plan, and he will then review and lobby for Moving or upgrading an existing facility.

A comprehensive plan is not in the works so could take several years and then no guarantee port can get it's way. This doesn't mean we should not make out opinions known to our elected officials however.

News article at the following link:
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2 ... 04news.txt

I read the article, so thanks. It is clear from some of his comments, such as "we will familiarize her (Murray) with it" that he is a proponent. Let's hope that if it proceeds on this path, that the new or improved airport is completed prior to any decommissioning.

I also sent letters protesting this.

I just can't see how building a comparable replacement airport would be cost effective at all. Bowerman has a 5,000' by 150' runway, plus an ILS. That would cost literally milllions of dollars to build, plus a suitable location would need to be located.

Eric

I think what this does is shuts down the ports plans top create a shipping terminal on this property. They have no credible people on staff to create a "credible plan". They know nothing of aviation and care less to learn. The consulting firm they hired has no aviation experience or knowledge, and no desire to research it or learn. They were hired to provide some version of credibility to the ports predetermined decision. I asked the engineer if he had been learning a lot about airports and he said he had. I asked if he was getting very familiar with the AC's and he looked at me like I had a toe growing out of my forehead. He had never heard of an Advisory Circular, and I got much the same reaction out of the ports deputy director.

Me thinks that unless something happens to change Norm Dicks approach, or they can get Patty Murray to go along with them we are safe for a long time. We just have to keep an eye on those two to ensure they don't get taken over by the dark side.