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SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
New committee takes over Catamount forest management By Jason Starr Observer staff
A welcoming ceremony for two F-35 fighter jets is planned for Thursday at the Vermont Air National Guard. Observer file photo
Touchdown, F-35s Air Guard welcomes fighter jet amid invigorated opposition By Jason Starr Observer staff
The first two of 20 F-35 fighter jets were set to arrive at Burlington International Airport on Thursday. The Vermont Air National Guard will begin flying them on a limited basis and ramp up to a regular flying schedule over the coming months as more of the planes arrive. The guard expects to receive two new planes each month over the next 10 months, with the full compliment of planes in town by June 2020. At that time, a four-day-a-week flying schedule, with morning trips and evening trips, will proceed — the same flying schedule the guard had with its previous fighter jet, the F-16. The planes are noisier on takeoff and landing than the F-16s, and Williston will experience increased noise impacts, according to a noise exposure report airport officials released in May. The northwest corner
of Williston, including sections of North Brownell, South Brownell and Shunpike roads, fall within a 65 decibel exposure zone, affecting about 260 Williston residents. The majority of the 65 decibel zone falls in portions of South Burlington and Winooski. The airport is administering a federal noise mitigation grant program for homeowners within the impact zone. An airport advisory committee working to implement the program is holding a public forum at 5 p.m. Thursday at the airport. The sound exposure estimates have come under scrutiny in recent weeks. In August, vtdigger.org reported that noise from the jets has been higher than predicted at F-35 bases in Utah, Florida and Arizona. Air Force officials quoted in the report said pilots are using afterburners to boost thrust more than anticipated, About 200 protesters gathered around the offices of Vermont’s Congressional delegation in Burlington on Sept. 6 to demand the canceling of the F-35 basing, or at least a new noise impact study.
“It is not too late,” said Rachel Siegel of Burlington’s Peace and Justice Center. “Many people think it is, but we have four examples of basings that the Air Force has pulled out of, some after the planes had arrived, due to resident outcry. So let’s raise our voices and be the fifth.” Col. David Smith, commander of the 158th Fighter Wing, said Vermont Air Guard pilots don’t plan to use afterburners for takeoff, only when the planes have reached training altitude. “It is an important part of the airplane’s performance tactically, but it is not required for takeoff,” Smith said in an interview Tuesday. The noise exposure maps released in May were based on afterburner use in 5 percent of flying operations. “What other bases do doesn’t matter,” Smith said. “Our intention is to use non-afterburner all the time.” As the program matures, Air Guard officials plan to keep tabs on afterburner use to make sure it stays within original estimates. “It is our responsibility, and we take it very seriously, to track this and valsee F-35 page 3
Management of the Catamount Community Forest has been handed to a newly appointed committee of five Williston residents. The town acquired the nearly 400-acre forest, where the Catamount Outdoor Family Center has maintained recreational trails for 40-plus years, in March. On Sept. 3, the Williston Selectboard created the Catamount Community Forest Committee, appointing three members of existing town boards and two at-large members. Laura Meyer will represent the Conservation Commission, Danielle Doucette will represent the Recreation Committee and Joy Limoge will represent the selectboard. Also appointed were residents Patrick Brown and Joan Shaw. Brown is a retired homeowner with property abutting the community forest. Shaw is a trail-runner who uses the property regularly. Town Clerk Deb Beckett and Williston master naturalist Terry Marron –Joan Shaw also applied for the two at-large positions. “I’m aware of the benefits, both physical and mental, of having access to this gem of a resource,” Shaw said. The property sees a lot of use from mountain biking, running and skiing groups, but Shaw hopes to better promote its use by individuals. She also hopes to promote the property to school groups and senior centers. Brown and Shaw agreed that maintaining a positive relationship with the Catamount Outdoor Family Center will be important to the committee’s work. The center maintains its operations on the property through a renewable five-year permit with the town. According to an outline of the committee’s responsibilities that the selectboard approved in May, the committee is responsible for submitting an annual report and budget for the forest to the selectboard. It is also expected to advance the goals of a forest management plan created by a predecessor committee before the acquisition in 2018, and for making recommendations to the selectboard about any proposed management plan changes. “The Williston selectboard will have ultimate decision-making authority over the property after receiving recommendations from the committee,” the outline states. The management plan defines the town’s goals for the propsee CATAMOUNT page 13
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