COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT - File #: 23-958

• File #: 23-958
• Version: 1
• Type: Board Order
• Status: Passed
• File created: 6/21/2023
• In control: Aviation
• On agenda: 6/27/2023
• Final action: 6/27/2023
• Title: Emergency Removal of Tree Clusters at Murray Field Airport (EKA)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
6/27/2023	1	Board of Supervisors	approved	Pass

To: Board of Supervisors

From: Aviation

Agenda Section: Consent

Vote Requirement: Majority

SUBJECT:
title
Emergency Removal of Tree Clusters at Murray Field Airport (EKA)
end

RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize Director of Aviation to execute the attached Construction Agreement (Attachment 1) for the removal of tree clusters at Murray Field Airport (EKA), and all subsequent amendments, not to exceed $22,080, after review by County Counsel, Risk Management, and County Administrative Office;
2. Authorize the Director of Aviation to use sole source procurement for the removal of trees at EKA; and
3. Find that tree removal is exempt from environmental review, pursuant to Section 15269(b) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (Attachment 2).

Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Aviation Enterprise Fund (3530)

DISCUSSION:
The County of Humboldt operates the Murray Field Airport (EKA) by and through its Department of Aviation. Aircraft utilize nighttime approaches at the EKA Airport to safely navigate to/from the airport during inclement conditions, such as fog and other low-visibility conditions. Life flight emergency flights to/from the EKA airport are the primary flights conducted at EKA during nighttime hours. These approaches are currently not allowed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to obstruction impacts from approximately 10 trees, in four tree clusters, located on the EKA Airport property.

In April 2022, the Natural Resources Management Corporation (NRM) conducted a site assessment to determine the best course of action to abate the tree obstruction. On May 20, 2022, the Natural Resources Management Corporation (NRM) issued a Murray Field Obstacles and Tree Abatement Recommendations report (Attachment 3) finding that the four obstacle tree clusters obscure the EKA Airport flight path. The NRM prescribed that the obscuring trees should be removed and fully replaced with low...