Plea For The Trees

The Hanson consulting team hired by the LRAA in July 2012 developed an Aeronautical Survey and Airport Airspace Analysis around Bowman Field in the fall of 2012. The final report on the survey and analysis is expected to be submitted to the FAA in the spring of 2013. The report will take the FAA at least 6 months to review and will not be made public until after approval, which is expected for fall 2013 at the earliest.

The study is being primarily conducted through aerial photography, based upon the various work plans submitted to the FAA for approval. (It should be noted that the aerial photography was performed on September 19, 2012 and the FAA did not actually approve the work plans until afterwards.) The photography should result in an inventory of all natural (trees) and human-made (utility poles, buildings, billboards) objects to determine which are “obstructions,” i.e., they intrude into the protected airspace associated with each runway departure end.

The inventory should be very specific, i.e., down to the individual tree level rather than groups of trees and will include precise information about the ground-level elevation (in mean sea level feet) and height of each object. It is important to accurately locate each object and take into account the effect of rolling or level topography in the analysis. Plea For The Trees is concerned about whether the Hanson team performed sufficient survey work on the ground in addition to in the air, and will carefully review the data when the final report is issued.

In addition to reviewing the survey report, FAA is responsible for determining which “obstructions” are “hazards” to navigable airspace and, therefore, have to be mitigated through removal, marking, alternative published flight procedures, or a waiver.

Check back for info on the study as we learn more.

The Louisville Cancer Society grove of memorial trees planted along the walking path off Pee Wee Reese Road will be threatened in the future.