FORKS — West End Thunder Club’s drag races are on for Sept. 9 and 10 at Forks Municipal Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration granted the city of Forks an exception to the federal policy of not permitting airports to close for non-aviation uses.
The exception is granted only for the September races, leaving the fate of races in future seasons still unknown.
“We’re very pleased that the FAA is working with us on the September date,” Forks Mayor Nedra Reed said.
Reed was informed about the decision on Friday in a letter dated Aug. 24 from Seattle Airports District Office Manager Wade Bryant.
“This event is very, very important to our community, and to our community’s struggling economy,” Reed said.
The weekend races, which started on May 20, have brought in thousands of people from around the state, energizing Forks’ economy, city officials said.
However, the races put the city of Forks in violation of a grant funding agreement with the FAA because the races temporarily shut down the airport, Bryant told the city earlier this month.
The city checked with Bryant’s office before going forward with the races, but there was a misunderstanding as to what the city’s continued grant obligations were at the airport, Bryant and Forks City Attorney/Planner Rod Fleck said.
The airport, which is owned by the city, has received $1.1 million in grant funding from the FAA since 1949, with the most recent grant being awarded in 1994, according to Bryant’s office.
The city believed all of its grant obligations to the airport were transferred to the Quillayute Airport when they took over ownership of it from the state in 1999.
After taking over ownership, the city placed Quillayute Airport on the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems so it could receive grant funding.
At the same time, the city had Forks Municipal Airport removed from the FAA’s national system.
It wasn’t until Bryant informed the city in a letter dated for Aug. 8 that they realized they were still obligated to the grant funding agreements at Forks Municipal Airport despite it being taken off the national system of airports, Fleck said.
Because of the confusion that led to the races, and the city’s contract obligation to West End Thunder, Bryant is approving the races for September, he said in his letter to the city dated for Aug. 24.
Had the races not happened, West End Thunder, which is nonprofit organization, would have been out about $4,000 in costs associated with the races and $29,000 in anticipated ticket sales and participant fees, said Phil Arbeiter, the club’s president.
Arbeiter said he was grateful to Reed, Fleck and Forks Municipal Airport Manager Dan Leinan in working out an agreement with the FAA.
As for races beyond September, Reed said the city will continue working on a solution.
“We have committed to the FAA and the racing group to find a permanent home for this activity,” she said.