Harvey Field Endangered

It appears that Harvey Field (S43) in Snohomish County, WA, is in
serious trouble. Basically, Federal surveys have re-mapped the flood
plain and errors in the new map have placed Harvey Field within an area
where industrial development is now restricted, despite the fact that
the existing buildings are more than a century old and have never been
flooded.

Opponents of the airport have seized on this and orchestrated a
well-organized media campaign with slick flyers and ads claiming that
the airport is killing fish, that it is planning on expanding
(actually, the runway is being shortened to make room for an overrun)
and other false claims. The brochures even show pictures of flooded
areas which are not even on the property, claiming that they are
pictures showing that Harvey Field does indeed flood. To date, letters
to Snohomish County commissioners have been running 100 to 1 against
the airport.

There are more than 330 planes based at Harvey Field and there are more
than 250 people employed there. The airport is private and receives no
federal funding. The County refuses to approve building permits for new
hangars, runway improvements and repairs, and other needed work. One
individual responsible for this is a self-proclaimed environmentalist,
Craig D. Ladiser, who even though he is the director of Snohomish
County Public Development Services has referred Snohomish as a city,
not a county -- that is how ignorant he is about the area. Originally,
he estimated it would cost just over $100,000 to correct the flood
plain mapping errors, but in less than 90 days he revised this cost to
more than $500,000.

Harvey Field is supposed to be protected under the law by Washington
State's Growth Management Act. A discussion of the issues involved is
in the latest issue of Wings.

Letters requesting information about the Urban Growth Area should be
addressed to Linda Kuller. A sample letter appears below:

August 3, 2007




Linda Kuller
Chief Planning Officer
Snohomish Co. Planning & Development Services
2930 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, Washington 98201




Dear Ms. Kuller,

Please send me all information pertinent to the South Snohomish Urban
Growth Area (UGA) Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) Request.
Thank you.

Respectfully,



The Snohomish County Commissioners and their email addresses a

District 1 John Koster
District 2 Kirke Sievers
District 3 Gary Nelson
District 4 Dave Gossett
District 5 Dave Somers

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor