Bedford Minuteman
March 20, 2003

Letter: Group has eyes on wrong 'threat'

The president of Scenic America flew in from Washington recently to designate Bedford, Concord, Lexington and Lincoln as Last Chance Landscapes. Scenic America bestows this unique designation on communities "when there is both a threat and a potential solution."

Typical of many special interest groups, they are short on specifics - especially when it comes to defining a problem. Had Scenic America been interested in the facts, they would have taken a moment to contact Massport, a local pilot or the FAA to discuss Hanscom Field. If they had, they would have learned that only 3 to 4 percent of the peak hour vehicle traffic volumes along Route 2A are airport-related. They would have praised the Bedford airport for being the first airport in the nation to have received the coveted ISO 14001 designation for its environmental management system and commitment to best management practices to minimize the impacts of airport operations.

Other facts which Scenic America ignored and Save Our Heritage is reluctant to mention are that Massport's most recent environmental report concludes that general aviation is forecast to remain the single largest category of aviation activity at the Bedford airport, accounting for 90-percent to 91-percent of operations in the 2015 moderate growth to high growth range; scheduled passenger operations range from three percent of aircraft activity in 2000, to 8 or 9 percent in the 2015 moderate to high growth analysis; and scheduled cargo operations range from 0.4 to 0.5-percent of 2015 moderate to high growth analysis.

The intent behind a cause such as Scenic America is worthy. To that end, they should focus on the many real threats to the environment and natural habitat of this great country. By focusing on the Bedford airport, they are passing up on opportunities to shine their spotlight on a legitimate "threat."

Jose Juves, director
Media Relations
Massachusetts Port Authority

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