Some Gilpin County Residents Oppose FAA Proposed Flight Path Changes

BLACK HAWK, Colo. (CBS4)- The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing major changes to flight paths over Colorado. That has small-town residents in Gilpin County gambling on an effort to pressure the FAA to change course.

Theresa Wirth has joined forces with her neighbors to form GRRift -- Gilpin Residents Refuse Increased Air Traffic -- in an effort to engage the FAA in discussions over their decision to consolidate airplane flights to and from the West directly over the county.

"These patterns have been more fairly dispersed over the years so as not to create an undo noise burden over any one area. It appears, however, that decisions are close to being finalized to consolidate this traffic pattern over just our area," Wirth told CBS4 on Wednesday.

The Denver Metroplex Project is currently in an open comment period, until Dec. 20, and the FAA is encouraging Gilpin Country Residents to comment on the project online.

The residents claim the FAA never held a meeting with them locally and only learned about the proposed changes after the first set of public comments closed.

Gilpin County Commissioners and Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents the county in Congress, have sent letters to the FAA on the issue with citizens' concerns.

"We are not the only group that is unhappy with these plans and many lawsuits are popping up all over the country opposing these efforts by the FAA," said Wirth.

The FAA is calling for the changes to "increase efficiency" and "decrease carbon footprints."