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Home My WebLink AboutCraig Cobia Agenda & NotesCraig Cobia, Agenda March 2026 Airport Board Meeting 2020 Rexburg Airport System Plan Update, Cost estimate then, $45 mil; grown to $100 mil? Task List Rigby/Luthy Grazing Rights Leasing Option Agreement Hangar Lease Agreement (Uniform Act) Minutes, BLM/FAA Coordination Meeting Timeline Questions? Maintain consistent line of communication 20 calls, visits with 1 to engineers and FAA through the approval Ardurra; 3 visits local officials; 10 discussions process with others Interface between the owners (city and Meeting with 1.1 county) and the elected officials that can FAA/BLM/other assign land exchange and environmental stakeholders (see approval attached minutes and proposed timelines) Network with other airport managers to Williston, ND; St. George; 1.2 ensure we are on cutting edge of airport Rock Springs; Nebraska development and management Avionics. Using info to opportunities guide our tasks Researching grant 3 Seek funding opportunities from State and opportunities. Uniform FAA for current and future airport Act (requirement for FAA funding) Design a plan to enable a smooth transition 3,1 to new airport. Includes FBO, utilities, Hangar Lease Agreement hangars and tenant commitments 3.2 Help develop a sound rent factor -based fee Started Research system to encourage occupancy 3.3 Develop and maintain budgets for current Started Research -- and future airport facilities 4 :;se database to seek and target flight operations to use the new facility Oversee the current facility and ensure 5 proper use of funds are applied to most needed projects. Maintain and or oversee the proper upkeep of current facility Work with potential FBO's in securing 5.1 assets and equipment for proper fuel Started Research handling 5.2 Develop a plan for asset ownership of fuel Started Research system and FBO facilities Meeting Unutes / Summary Project: RXE Airport Land Conveyance Discussion Subject: BLM / FAA — Coordination Meeting Date: Friday, February 20, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM —11:00 AM Location: Teams Attendees ✓ ✓ John Reffit ✓ Begky Lazdauskas �✓ FJennifer Taylor ✓ I S livrviia_Copeland ✓ Andrew Wehausen ✓ Bret Herres ✓ Bruce Schiberi ✓I Craig Cobia ✓ Keith Davidson, P_.E. ✓ [ Jerry Merrill David Taylor Representin Project ;ate 9 SLM Field Office Mana�2 BLM _._ ROW specialist BLM___.._.___... R,O,W specialist BLM Sage Grouse Lead BLM Wildlife Biologist._ BLM Asst. Field Office N BLM Wildlife Lead Et r .._..,.,.....w... rt efr'i�bim.�ov...............�...._.__..� rltazdauskas blm__gov_._..x wµ WM i nnifertaylor�bblm.Qoy „ 1 scooelandC@blm.00v Rexburg Airport Manager Rexburg public Works Director Rexburg Mayor of Rexburg Chairman of the Airport Rexburg Board Kyle Austin Rexburg z Assistant to the Airport Manager .......... s Todd Smith Madison i County Commissioner ; tsmith5050 a_msn.com Co. ✓ Jason Garwood,._ _.._.._._..,°mAirport District Office (ADO) � P.E. FAA i Manager son _A.garwoodQfaa aov _ i Tracy Stoner, P P.E. FAA _ ADO Assistant Manager i Tr�cgton�rna faa.aov I Environmental Protection i I Heidy Bruner, P.E. FAA h idv.s.brunerQfaa.aov Specialist ✓ ` Jeremy McAlister, Airport Senior Airport Engineer P.E. Team i Imcalisterca'?.ardurra.com .,.. _ ✓ Airport Environmental Services Vince Barthels vbarthels &-ardurra.com a Team Director71 er 10:00 AM — 11:00 AM1 ors Overview of Proposed Airport Site and Current Status of the Project s The current Airport has been determined to be inadequate to meet the long-term aviation demand due to physical constraints. Necessary modifications at the existing Airport would result in unreasonable impacts to both environmental resources and the local community that would render onsite modification to meet recommended runway length infeasible. Therefore, an Airport Relocation is warranted. With any Airport Relocation, securing the land is of utmost importance, and our "urgency" stems from this. The Airport Sponsor (City of Rexburg/Madison County) is focused on securing the identified 613 acres that is currently owned and operated by BLM. The proposed Airport Relocation site is situated approx. 5 miles west of Rexburg and north of HWY 33. o The Airport Sponsor has submitted a Land Tenure Proposal (and Addendum) that outlines a potential mitigation location that is situated approx. 4.5 miles to the NW of the Airport Relocation Site. The mitigation site is currently owned by two landowners — Russell Luthy and Scott Rigby. o The BLM has recently submitted a response letter with comments and clarifications regarding the Land Tenure Proposal. o The Habitat Quantification Tool (HQT) has not yet been run for the number of credits at the proposed mitigation site. Coordination with IDFG and OSC will be an important next step to determine the # of HQT credits for the mitigation site. • Prior to running the HQT, field data collection for both the Airport Relocation Site and the Mitigation Site is required in May/June & April/May for Lek data. Discussion of recently submitted land Exchange Proposal ® The land tenure or land exchange is a misnomer, the process that should be sought out is a BLM land conveyance. ® The FAA has 4 examples of Land Conveyances with the BLM from their Denver ADO. o The Land Conveyance Process is new to everyone participating in this meeting. • Achieving no net loss to any sage grouse habitat is critical for this Land Conveyance Process. s The Land Conveyance Process is initiated through a formal request from the FAA to the BLM and includes a cost recovery component for the BLM. ® Grazing notification, mineral report, and federal registry notice need to be completed once the application is received and the NEPA process is done, are part of the process. In addition, the state sends the Attorney General a letter ensuring that this preserves the BLM's goals. • It was noted that with every federal decision, there is a formal appeal process. • A concern linked to the timely transfer of grazing rights through this process was raised, because lacking the ability to transfer/maintain the grazing rights for the current owners, the potential mitigation site may be off the table. o Ardurra/Rexburg (Keith Davidson) — to circle back with Luthy/Rigby to convey that: The transfer of grazing rights is highly probable but not guaranteed by BLM. Grazing standards may change over time. BLM may implement grazing right changes based on seasonal weather. Development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) • The development of a MOU could serve to line out the BLM land conveyance process and everyone's roles; and it could double to formalize BLM as a cooperating agency under NEPA with FAA being the NEPA lead agency. The MOU will provide estimated tasks and timelines. o Ardurra has an action item to draft a MOU for agency review. 10:00 Aivi - 11:00 A1ii3 4 Ir Next Steps 0 Ardurra to: • Communicate grazing implications to Luthy/Rigby and request some sort of option agreement, prior to gathering additional data. • Reach out to OCS and IDFG right away to ensure vegetation sampling plan is agreed to. • Draft MOU for agency review. a Rexburg to: 0 Support Ardurra in coordinating with Luthy/Rigby. ® FAA to: o Research Formal Land Conveyance Request to BLM, • BILM and FAA to: o Facilitate a meeting to discuss agency goals and processes. f Rexburg Airport Relocation Land Conveyance and National Environmental Policy Act Compliance Timeline Overview • Estimated duration: 3 years • Target completion (Land Conveyance + National Environmental Policy Act NEPA) Compliance: June 2028 • Phases may run concurrently to shorten timeline Phase 1— Land Option & Conveyance (Year 1-3) • Establish 36-month land option (Rigby/Luthy) • Finalize Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) o Between BLM, FAA, Rexburg Airport, Idaho Fish and Game, and Office of Species Conservation • Establish grazing rights, mineral plan, other studies Phase 2 — NEPA & Ongoing Environmental Review ('ears 2-3) • Initiate NEPA process • Evaluate impact: o Farmland o Noise o Floodplain o Land use compatibility o Mineral plan • Coordinate with: o FAA o BLM o Federal, state & local agencies • Complete required notices and approvals • Secure deed to the Airport Property Target Outcome (By June 2028) Environmental clearance obtained from FAA Land conveyance finalized and published in Federal Register • Project positioned for implementation Enter next phase: Design phase 30% Design 100% Design Begin construction as soon as April 2029, assuming all other tasks accomplished