The Port of Seattle's Flight Corridor Management Program is an ongoing effort to identify and remove trees near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) that obstruct the flight paths of its three parallel runways, as required by FAA regulations. Approximately every five years, the Port surveys the area, removes obstructing trees, and replants replacements, with each cycle documented in publicly available Implementation Plans and Regulatory Memoranda. This 2025 programmatic environmental review under Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) covers the long-term program rather than individual removal projects.Open full document
Notes
Port of Seattle SEPA File No. 2025-05, programmatic environmental checklist prepared August 20, 2025 for the Sea-Tac Airport Flight Corridor Management Program. Documents the FAA-mandated tree obstruction removal program required under 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII and 14 CFR Part 139 for SEA’s three parallel runways. Covers four obstruction categories — current obstructions, incidental trees, future obstructions in critical areas, and NAVAID obstructions — with approximately five-year implementation cycles (2016, 2019, 2025). Contact: Steve Rybolt, Senior Environmental Program Manager, Port of Seattle.