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Conservation group asks Tumwater council to demand environmental impact study for Olympia Airport master plan
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Summary
Betsy Norton of the South Sound Bird Alliance urged the council to require an environmental impact statement for the Olympia Airport master plan, saying the plan could remove habitat designated as critical for the ESA-listed Mazama pocket gopher and for streaked horned lark protections negotiated with federal agencies.
Betsy Norton, representing the South Sound Bird Alliance (formerly Black Hills Audubon Society), urged the Tumwater City Council during public comment to request an environmental impact study for the Port of Olympia's airport master plan, citing risks to federally listed species and designated critical habitat.
Norton said the airport property contains the last stronghold of the ESA-listed Olympia pocket gopher (Mazama pocket gopher) and provides habitat for the streaked horned lark. She said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated about 600 acres of the airport property as critical habitat in 2014, and that portions of the airport master plan could remove as much as 340 acres (about 56% of that habitat), which Norton said would pose a significant extinction risk.
"From a wildlife view, development on and around the airport that allows for 85% impervious surface per your zoning rules, busy roadways, and increased aviation operations pose a significant threat to the survival of both species," Norton told council.
Why this matters Norton asked the city to treat airport-related development impacts as cumulative and comprehensive rather than piecemeal, because species do not recognize property lines or project boundaries. She urged a full environmental impact statement to analyze the master plan's cumulative effects on pocket gophers and larks, rather than narrower or fragmented analyses.
Authorities cited by the commenter Norton referenced the Endangered Species Act and a 2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service status report for the Mazama pocket gopher; she also cited a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Aviation Administration that provides protections for the streaked horned lark on airport property through 2029.
What the council heard and did Norton summarized maps and prior comments submitted to the Port that indicate removal of hundreds of acres of habitat. She asked the council to request comprehensive environmental review; no formal motion or vote on the airport master plan or an environmental impact statement was taken during this meeting.
Clarifying details cited to council - Norton stated that U.S. Fish and Wildlife designated approximately 600 acres of airport property as critical habitat for the Mazama pocket gopher in 2014 and that the airport master plan could remove up to 340 acres, which she said is roughly 56% of that habitat. - She requested that impact assessments be cumulative and rigorous because species survival is at stake.
Next steps The comment was filed during the public-comment portion of the meeting. No council action was recorded; the comment is part of the public record and may be part of future council consideration if the airport master plan moves closer to city permitting or other local action.
