ALTURAS, CA: Modoc County in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service -Tule Lake Unit of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, announces a collaborative effort to address aviation development and historic preservation concerns at the Tulelake Municipal Airport, Newell, California.

Stakeholder groups interested in the Tulelake Municipal Airport have expressed a variety of concerns related to aviation safety, environmental protection, historic preservation, and local interests at the Tulelake Municipal Airport. Before establishment of the Tulelake Municipal Airport in 1951, the airport property was part of the World War II era Tule Lake Segregation Center. A portion of the former Tule Lake Segregation Center located approximately 1,000 feet outside the airport property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and a National Monument in 2008.

In particular, some stakeholder groups have expressed concern that construction of an airport fence to control access to the aircraft operations area could adversely affect historic resources and limit public access to areas of historical interest. Other stakeholder groups have expressed concern a fence is necessary for aviation safety. Modoc County has obtained the assistance of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to address these concerns. The Institute is an independent federal agency specializing in collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution, and will serve as a neutral, third party facilitator of a collaborative problem-solving effort.

The Institute will be contacting stakeholders concerned about these airport issues including airport users, local organizations, and historic preservation organizations to identify if these organizations would like to participate in a collaborative problem-solving effort regarding these issues. The Institute will conduct confidential stakeholder interviews to identify concerns related to potential aviation projects on the Tulelake Municipal Airport. The Institute will then develop a Neutral Situation Assessment report of the issues at the airport based on interviews with the various stakeholders. Based on this information, the Institute will then work with Modoc County, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Park Service, and other stakeholder groups in a collaborative effort aimed at resolving concerns regarding potential projects at the airport. Should any potential airport projects be identified for possible implementation during the collaborative problem-solving process, the general public will have the opportunity to review and comment on those projects during local and federal environmental evaluations.