The movement of 500 tons of equipment and tools on Catalina Island began last week as the Catalina Island Conservancy’s innovative partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy to repair the aging main runway at Catalina’s only airport prepares to begin in January.
The Airport in the Sky Runway Repair Project will ensure the airport remains open to the public and provide training for the troops to deploy to islands and other remote destinations to repair airfields and other infrastructure. The equipment was shipped to the Island in preparation for the arrival in January of more than 100 Marines and Sailors (Seabees) who will repair the runway, adding 75-100 years of use to the 3,000-foot-long airstrip.
For years, the Conservancy has been patching the airport’s main runway, costing approximately $250,000 a year. But the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans’) Aeronautics Division had told the Conservancy it needed a long-term repair plan in place by September 2018 to continue to operate the airport as a public airport. In October, the Conservancy announced it had reached an agreement for the airport runway to be repaired through the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training Program. The program matches community needs with military training opportunities.
The runway repair project is valued at $5 million. This includes the estimated $1 million in savings as a result of the Marines’ and Navy’s help in repairing the runway. The Conservancy is a nonprofit organization, and it is raising funds to pay for the remaining $4 million. The estimated $1 million in savings would be the cost for the Conservancy to rent the equipment the military is providing and to hire, transport, house and feed private workers on the Island. The military’s cost is less than $1 million because it already has the equipment and workers, but it has not yet estimated its total cost.
About the Airport in the Sky
The Airport in the Sky is a historical and critical asset that provides access to Catalina Island via air for first responders, travelers, residents and businesses.
The airport is the Island’s U.S. Mail and UPS delivery hub. An estimated 3.5 million pounds of freight, which includes medical and emergency supplies, is also shipped through the airport annually. The airport opened in 1946, and the Catalina Island Conservancy took over its operation in 1972 when the Conservancy was formed. The Conservancy operates the Airport in the Sky as a public airport.
About Catalina Island Conservancy
Formed in 1972, the Catalina Island Conservancy is one of California’s oldest land trusts. Its mission is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. Through its ongoing efforts, the Conservancy protects the magnificent natural and cultural heritage of Santa Catalina Island, stewarding approximately 42,000 acres of land and more than 60 miles of rugged shoreline.
It provides access to the Island’s wildlands and 50 miles of biking and nearly 165 miles of hiking opportunities within its road and trail system. The Conservancy conducts educational outreach through two nature centers, its Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden and guided experiences in the Island’s rugged interior.
Twenty miles from the mainland, the Island contains numerous rare and endangered animals and plants. The Island is home to 60 species – and counting – that are found only on Catalina. For additional information, please visit www.catalinaconservancy.org.
