Letters Released to the Press

Save the Boulder Airport Petition Garners More than 9,000 Signatures in First Two Weeks

March 13, 2024 
For immediate release  Boulder, CO – Within the first two weeks, more than 9,000 people have signed a petition to save the 96-year-old Boulder Municipal Airport. The petition is at https://saveboulderairport.com/.

“The community recognizes the tremendous value of the Boulder airport and is overwhelmingly opposed to the idea of replacing it with new housing developments,” said Carl Lawrence, president of the Boulder Airport Association.

“The broad support from pilots and non-pilots alike shows that the airport is valued for many reasons,” he added. “It is vital for firefighting and other emergency operations, indispensable for pilot training, and it is one of the world’s top locations for flying gliders.”

The airport also serves as a transportation hub for general aviation and is important for Boulder’s scientific research community at NCAR, NIST, NOAA, and UC-Boulder to conduct vital research on climate change.
During the 2013 flood, more than 1,200 residents were rescued by responders operating from the Boulder airport in the 2nd largest airlift operation in US history after Hurricane Katrina. Medivac and search and rescue operations are conducted from the airport regularly.

Support for the Boulder airport includes more than 3,500 signatures from residents of Boulder and Boulder County. Additionally, the petition garnered thousands of signatures from neighboring counties as well as tourists, aviation enthusiasts, and others that visit Boulder and the airport.

An economic impact study by the Colorado Department of Transportation conducted in 2020 found that the airport supports 300 jobs and generates $100 million in economic impact.

More details about the community’s response to the petition can be found at https://saveboulderairport.com/supporter-comments/.

The results are consistent with the findings of a survey conducted between April 6 and May 4, 2023 by the City of Boulder as part of a year-long Community Working Group process, which found that only 16% of respondents were in favor of closing the airport.

For more information about the petition refer to the prior BAA press release on Feb 28, 2024 (below).

Petition to Save the Boulder Airport

February 28, 2024
Boulder, CO – The Boulder Airport Association has launched a petition to save the 96-year-old Boulder Municipal Airport.

The petition is at https://saveboulderairport.com/.

Later this year, Boulder City Council is expected to vote on whether to keep the airport open or seek to replace it with urban housing developments. The petition creates a platform for the community to voice its support for the Boulder Airport prior to the City Council vote.

The airport has played an important role in fighting wildfires and other environmental disasters. The Fourmile Canyon fire and most recently the Cal-Wood and Lefthand Canyon Fires were fought by fleets of large helicopters operating from the Boulder airport.
During the 2013 flood, more than 1200 residents were rescued by responders operating from the Boulder airport in the 2nd largest airlift operation in US history after Hurricane Katrina. Medivac and search and rescue operations are conducted from the airport regularly.

“As the planet warms, extreme weather events like heat waves, hurricanes, droughts and floods are undeniably becoming more frequent and intense,” said Pedro DiNezio, an associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at CU Boulder.

Carl Lawrence, president of the Boulder Airport Association said, “Closing the airport would not just put our community at risk, it would come at a massive cost because the City would have to compensate the FAA for the land that the City purchased with FAA funds. The costs to the City and its taxpayers are likely to far exceed a hundred million dollars. That’s before even one new home could be built on the site.”

In 2023, the FAA reminded the City of its obligations to keep the airport open in perpetuity, and that FAA approval is required to close it. “It is FAA’s policy to strengthen the national airports system and not to support the closure of public airports”, the letter said.

The Boulder Airport is a community resource available to everyone. It is regularly used by more than 1000 community members including students, engineers, firefighters, and scientists conducting cutting-edge research on climate change, atmospheric science, and environmental sustainability. Thousands of pilots have been trained at the Boulder Airport. For Boulder-area youth, airport-based community organizations offer scholarships and STEM educational opportunities, including hands-on experience building and restoring aircraft. More than 500 local children have benefited from free flights as part of the Young Eagles initiative fostering careers in aviation, aerospace, science, and engineering. No jets or commercial aircraft are based at the Boulder Airport.

More information about the value of the airport to the community can be found at https://saveboulderairport.com/faq.